X.IBR  A^E  Y 


Theological    Semi.n  a  Y  y  , 

PRINCETON,     N.    J.  \       '  ^ 

P 


Sheff 


^:q  . 


i  ®, 


A.     DONATION 


BV   1534    .S33   1877     c.l  "^ 

Schieffelin,   Samuel 
Bradhurst,    1811-1900. 
A  word  to  Christian  teachers 


A  WORD 

TO 

CHRISTIAN  TEACHERS 

AND 

STUDENTS  FOR  THE  MINISTRY. 

BY 

SAMUEL    B.    SCHIEFFELIN, 

WRITER    OF    "the    FOUNDATIONS    OF    HISTORY,   A    SERIES    OF    FIRST 

THINGS;"     BIBLE    CATECHISMS,     ENTITLED,    "  MILK     FOR 

BABES,"     AND     "  CHILDREN'S     BREAD,"    ETC. 


"  As  every  man  hath  received  the  gift,  even  so  minister  the  same 
one  to  another,  as  good  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of  God.  If 
any  man  speak,  let  him  speak  as  the  oracles  of  God  ;  if  any  man 
minister,  let  him  do  it  as  of  the  ability  which  God  giveth  :  that  God 
in  all  things  may  be  glorified  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be 
praise  and  dominion  forever  and  ever.  Amen." — i  Pet.  4  :  10. 


New  York  : 

BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION   OF    THE  REFORMED 

CHURCH   IN  AMERICA, 

34     VeSEY,     CORNER     OF     ChURCH     StREET. 
1877. 


S.  W.   GREEN, 

PRINTER    AND     KLKCTROTYPER, 

16  and  18  Jacob  Street, 
Nkw  York. 


^"^vr- "  ^"  ■ "" 


WORD  TO  CHRisTfA)i>a^HiiRS 


STUDENTS  FOR  THE  MINISTRY. 


Beloved  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  : 

We  have  great  reason  to  thank  the  Lord 
that  we  are  living  in  the  world  at  this  time, 
when  His  kingdom  is  making  such  rapid 
progress  in  it,  and  when  so  many  facilities 
are  placed  in  our  hands  to  assist  in  advancing 
that  kingdom.  Within  our  day,  the  world, 
which  had  been  for  fifteen  hundred  years  al- 
most entirely  closed  to  the  gospel,  has  been 
opened  for  its  reception.  During  nearly  the 
whole  of  that  period,  the  Bible  was  a  sealed 
book,  and  to  the  masses  inaccessible.  Now 
it  is  published  in  almost  every  tongue,  and  is 
freely  offered  without  money  and  without 
price.  Never  before  have  there  been  so 
many  helps  to  enable  us  to  study  the  word 
of  God.  Many  of  these  helps,  such  as  mar- 
I 


2  A    VvORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

ginal  references,  concordances,  Bible  text- 
books, Bible  dictionaries,  no  student  of  the 
scriptures  can  well  do  without ;  and  these 
are  within  the  reach  of  all.  Never  before 
have  the  evidences  of  the  truth  of  God's  word 
been  so  clear,  and  the  power  of  that  word  in 
the  hearts  of  men  has  never  been  more  effec- 
tive than  now.  In  no  period  before  this  have 
there  been  so  many  teachers  in  the  Church 
as  there  are  now.  Beside  the  regularly  or- 
dained ministers  and  parents,  a  vast  number, 
a  mighty  army  of  teachers  arc  laboring  in 
the  Sunday-schools  throughout  the  w^orld. 
Millions  are  being  taught  the  way  of  salva- 
tion through  them.  We  have  reason  to  praise 
the  Lord  that  there  are  so  many,  and  with 
Moses  to  exclaim,  "  Would  God  that  all  the 
Lord's  people  were  prophets,  and  that  the 
Lord  would  put  His  Spirit  upon  them !" 
(Num.  II :  29).  And  if  any  of  them  not  regu- 
larly ordained  be  preaching  and  casting  out 
devils  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  the 
Lord  evidently  working  with  him,  let  us  re- 
member Jesus'  answer  to  John,  "  Forbid  him 
not"  (Mark  9 :  39),  but  rather  bid  him  God- 
speed. 

Let  us  praise  the  Lord  also  for  the  great 
efforts  made  to  quicken  teachers  and  to  assist 
them  in  their  preparations,  so  that  they  may 


TEACHERS    APPOINTED    OF   GOD.  3 

teach  effectively.  Conventions  are  held,  and 
new  methods  and  new  books  are  being  con- 
tinually presented  and  adopted.  While  thus 
giving  thanks,  let  us  take  heed  lest,  in  the 
great  thirst  for  new  things,  scmie  of  the 
things  which  are  old  may  in  a  degree  be  lost 
sight  of.  The  object  of  the  following  is  not 
to  present  any  novelty ;  but  to  bring  forth 
some  of  the  things  which  are  old,  to  stir  up 
your  pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance. 
Let  us  then  turn  our  attention  to  some  of 
the  old  things. 

MESSENGERS   AND   TEACHERS  ARE 
APPOINTED    OF    GOD. 

In  all  ages  of  the  world,  God  has  chosen 
certain  men  to  go  in  His  name  and  call  their 
fellow-men  to  repent,  to  believe,  and  to  be 
saved.  They  were  to  go  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  with  the  message,  Thus  saith 
the  Lord  (Ezek.  2:4;  Isai.  42  :  5  ;  Exod. 
3  :  10;  Matt.  28  :  19).  Beside  these  messen- 
gers, some  of  whom  were  sent  on  special 
missions  (Acts  8:29;  9:11;  10:20),  the 
Church  has  never  been  without  certain  per- 
sons appointed  of  God,  to  edify  His  people 
and  train  up  their  children.  In  the  fulness 
of  time,  God  took  upon  Himself  our  nature, 
the  "  word  became  flesh,"  and  He  spoke  to 


4  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

US  Himself  (John  i  :  i,  14;  Gal.  4:4;!  Tim. 
3:16;  2  Cor.  5:19).  "  God,  who,  at  sundry 
times  and  in  divers  manners,  spake  in  time 
past  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets,  hath 
in  these  last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  His 
Son,  whom  He  hath  appointed  heir  of  all 
things,  by  whom  also  He  piade  the  worlds; 
Who,  being  the  brightness  of  His  glory  and 
the  express  image  of  His  person,  and  uphold- 
ing all  things  by  the  word  of  His  power, 
when  He  had  by  Himself  purged  our  sins, 
sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty 
on  high"  (Heb.  1:1).  Among  the  gifts  of 
Christ,  when  He  ascended  on  high,  were 
"some,  evangelists;  some,  pastors  and 
teachers ;  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints, 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edify- 
ing of  the  body  of  Christ"  (Eph.  4:8,  11 ; 
I  Cor.  12  :  28). 

While  the  Lord  Jesus  was  in  the  -world. 
He  not  only  taught,  Himself,  but  He  sent 
His  apostles  and  other  chosen  messengers, 
seventy  at  one  time,  tw^o  and  two,  before  His 
face  whither  He  Himself  would  come  (Luke 
10 :  i).  Besides  teachers  thus  appointed, 
certain  others  became  witnesses  for  Christ. 
The  leper  w^hen  cleansed,  "  began  to  publish 
it  much"  (Mark  i  :  45) ;  the  man  out  of 
whom  the  devils  were  cast,  *'  published  how 


TEACHERS    APPOINTED    OF    GOD.  5 

great  things  Jesus  had  done  unto  him" 
(Luke  8  :  39).  Those  led  to  believe  that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ  began  at  once  to  tell 
others ;  the  woman  with  whom  Christ  spoke 
at  Jacob's  well,  "  left  her  water-pot,  and 
went  her  way  into  the  city,  and  saith  to  the 
men,  Come,  see  a  man,  which  told  me  all 
things  that  ever  I  did:  is  not  this  the 
Christ  ?"  (John  4  :  29).  Andrew,  convinced 
that  Jesus  was  the  Lamb  of  God,  "  first 
findeth  his  own  brother  Simon,  and  saith 
unto  him,  We  have  found  the  Messiah. 
And  he  brought  him  to  Jesus"  (John  i  :  41). 
"  Philip  findeth  Nathanael,  and  saith  unto 
him.  We  have  found  him,  of  whom  Moses  in 
the  law,  and  the  prophets  did  write,  Jesus 
of  Nazareth.  Come  and  see"  (John  i  :  45, 46). 
Just  before  his  ascension,  the  Lord  Jesus 
said  to  His  disciples,  "  All  power  is  given 
unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye 
therefore  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
commanded  you;  and,  lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway,  unto  the  end  of  the  world  "  (Matt. 
28:18).  Thus  charged,  the  disciples,  after 
waiting,  according  to  His  directions,  until 
they   received   power  from   on   high,  when 


6  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  began  at  once  to  preach,  "  that 
God  hath  made  that  same  Jesus,  whom  ye 
crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ "  (Acts  2  :  36  ; 
I  Cor.  2:2).  The  early  Christians,  when 
there  was  a  great  persecution  against  the 
Church  in  Jerusalem,  were  scattered  abroad, 
and  they  went  everywhere  preaching  Christ 
(Acts  8  :  I,  4,  5);  and  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  with  them  (Acts  11:21).  In  the  early 
church,  all  were  teachers. 

All  Christians  should  bear  in  mind,  that 
even  v/ithout  speaking  they  are  witnesses 
for  Christ ;  "  are  living  epistles  known  and 
read  of  all  men,  manifestly  declared  to  be 
the  epistle  of  Christ  written  with  the  Spirit 
of  the  living  God  "  (2  Cor.  3  :  2,  3) ;  and  the 
Avorld  is  apt  to  judge  Christianity  by  the 
lives  of  its  professors,  and  many  read  no 
other  Bible.  It  was  a  very  natural  remark 
made  by  a  convert,  in  relating  his  ex- 
perience, when  pointing  to  a  humble,  consis- 
tent professor,  he  said,  "  The  life  of  that  man 
killed  me."  Thus  all  Christians  are  preach- 
ers or  witnesses,  and,  constrained  by  the 
love  of  Christ,  will  try  to  lead  others  to  Him. 
But  while  all  Christians  are  bearing  testi- 
mony, all  Christians  are  not  fit  to  expound 
or  explain  the  Scriptures.     There  are  many 


PARENTS    APPOINTED    AS    TEACHERS.  7 

now  like  those  to  whom  Paul  says,  ''  For 
when  for  the  time  ye  ought  to  be  teachers, 
ye  have  need  that  one  teach  you  again 
which  be  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles 
of  God"  (Heb.  5:12;  Eph.  4:14).  He 
speaks  of  others  as  *'  desiring  to  be  teach- 
ers of  the  law  ;  understanding  neither  what 
they  say,  nor  whereof  they  affirm"  (i  Tim. 
I  :  7).  The  Lord  told  Peter,  "  Feed  my  sheep, 
feed  my  lambs."  Peter,  as  an  elder,  ex- 
horted the  elders  to  feed  the  flock  among 
them  (i  Pet.  5  :  i).  Paul  exhorted  the  elders 
of  the  Church  in  Ephesus,  "  to  feed  the 
Church  of  God,  which  He  hath  purchased 
with  His  own  blood"  (Acts  20:28).  Paul 
charges  Timothy  in  regard  to  teachers,  "  The 
things  that  thou  hasL  heard  of  me,  commit 
thou  to  faithful  men,  who  shall  be  able  to 
teach  others  also"  (2  Tim.  2  :  2).  Thus  was 
the  office  of  teacher  guarded  and  committed 
to  the  most  experienced  in  the  Church. 

PARENTS  PARTICULARLY  APPOINTED  OF 
GOD  AS  TEACHERS. 

God's  covenants  with  His  people  have 
always  embraced  their  children.  It  was 
thus  with  Adam  (Rom.  5:12;  i  Cor.  15  :  22) ; 
with  Noah  (Gen.  9:9);  with  Abraham 
(Gen.    17:9;    Acts   2:39);   with  the    Jews 


8  A    WORD   TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

(Deut.  5:2,3;  29:11);  David,  etc.  (2  Sam. 
7  :  12  ;  Rom.  9  :  4,  5  ;  i  Cor.  7  :  14;  Eph. 
6:4).  Speaking  of  Abraham,  God  said,  "  I 
know  him  that  he  will  command  his  chil- 
dren and  his  household  after  him"  (Gen. 
18:19).  In  the  Ten  Commandments  God 
says,  He  visits  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers 
upon  their  children  ;  and  blesses  the  children 
of  them  who  keep  His  commandments. 
The  charge  to  the  Israelites  w^as,  "  And  these 
words,  which  I  command  thee  this  day,  shall 
be  in  thine  heart :  and  thou  shalt  teach  them 
diligently  unto  thy  children,  and  s.halt  talk  of 
them  when  thou  sittest  in  thine  house,  and 
when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and  when 
thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up" 
(Deut.  6  :  4-7).  The  charge  to  Christians 
now  is,  "  Ye  fathers,  provoke  not  your  chil- 
dren to  Avrath;  but  bring  them  up  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  "  (Eph. 

6:4). 

A  young  child's  heart  is  very  easily  im- 
pressed. Children  will  enjoy  Bible  stories 
and  truths,  if  lovingly  presented,  more  than 
Mother  Goose's  melodies;  for  they  soon 
discern  w^hat  is  foolish.  A  small  seed 
planted  in  the  child's  heart  w^ill  grow  to  be  a 
large  tree,  bearing  fruit  either  good  or  bad 
according  to  the  seed  planted.    A  scratch  on 


PARENTS    APPOINTED    AS    TEACHERS.  9 

a  twig  will  become  an  ugly  scar  on  the  tree. 
"As  the  twig  is  bent,  the  tree  is  inclined." 
Therefore  care  for  the  little  ones.  The 
heart  of  a  child  left  to  itself  is  like  rich 
soil  in  a  garden  with  nothing  planted  in  it. 
It  will  soon  produce  enormous  weeds.  The 
only  remedy  is  to  fill  it  early  with  good 
seed  before  the  weeds  get  started.  Parents 
by  the  direct  appointment  of  God  are  bound 
to  teach  their  children;  and  they  have  no 
right  to  transfer  that  duty  to  a  Sabbath- 
school  teacher,  or  to  any  other  person. 
Many  parents  not  only  disregard  the  com- 
mand of  God,  and  break  the  covenant  made 
by  them  with  Him  and  His  Church,  but 
also  rob  and  deprive  their  children  of  cove- 
nant blessings  by  neglecting  their  promises, 
their  privilege,  and  their  duties ;  many  for- 
get the  vow  and  covenant,  in  some  cases 
made  again  and  again,  in  presenting  chil- 
dren for  baptism,  to  see  their  children  in- 
structed and  brought  up  in  Christian  doc- 
trine to  the  utmost  of  their  power.  Parents 
who  are  faithful  in  this  respect,  may  confi- 
dently look  for  the  salvation  of  their  chil- 
dren, even  though  they  may  not  live  to  see  it 
(Gen.  18:19;  Prov.  22:6;  i  Sam.  1:28;  2 
Tim.  3  :  15). 

Talking,  not  long  since,  with  two  minis- 
1* 


10         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

ters  about  God's  covenant  with  believers 
and  their  children,  and  the  importance  of 
early  instructing  them,  one  of  the  ministers 
said,  "  Some  years  ago,  I  was  called  to  the 
bedside  of  one  of  the  members  of  my 
church  who  was  dying.  I  found  him  in  a 
very  happy  frame  of  mind.  I  asked  him 
whether  he  had  not  any  burden  .^  *  No,' re- 
plied he,  '  I  have  settled  all  my  earthly  af- 
fairs, and  all  is  peace  and  joy.'  Knowing 
that  he  had  six  grown-up  children,  and  not 
one  of  them  members  of  the  church,  I 
asked  him  if  he  w^as  not  troubled  about 
them  }  '  Not  in  the  least,'  was  his  reply ;  '  I 
have  committed  them  to  a  covenant-keeping 
God,  and  have  no  anxiety  in  regard  to  them.' 
After  his  death,"  continued  the  minister,  "  the 
children  one  after  another  began  to  join  the 
church,  and  last  week  I  received  the  re- 
maining one  into  our  communion."  The 
other  minister,  referring  to  the  importance 
of  the  early  teaching  of  children,  related  the 
following :  "  When  I  was  settled  in  my  for- 
mer charge,  there  was  in  that  place  a  very 
old  man,  known  as  Uncle  Nath,  who  had 
been  a  drunken  loafer  as  long  as  the  people 
could  recollect.  He  was  respectably  con- 
nected, and  all  means  were  used  to  restore 
him,  but  in  vain.     His  case  was  considered 


PARENTS    APPOINTED    AS    TEACHERS.  II 

hopeless.  On  one  of  my  Wednesday  even- 
ing lectures,  I  preached  on  the  doctrine  of 
election.  There  were  some  persons  present 
who  were  opposed  to  the  doctrine  preached ; 
and  on  their  way  from  the  church  began  to 
speak  against  it.  When  to  their  surprise, 
Uncle  Nath,  who  happened  for  a  wonder  to 
have  been  at  the  meeting,  suddenly  inter- 
rupted them  with  the  exclamation,  'The 
dominie  is  right;  that  is  just  what  my 
mother  taught  me  eighty  years  ago,  when  I 
v/as  a  little  boy;'  and  he  then  repeated  an 
answer  from  a  catechism  which  his  mother 
had  then  taught  him,  and  silenced  the 
scoffers.  On  Saturday  evening  he  walked 
nearly  five  miles  to  have  a  talk  with  me,  his 
family  thinking  he  was  on  a  spree.  The 
following  Sabbath  he  was  seen  in  church, 
and  was  kindly  asked  to  dinner  by  one  of 
the  members ;  and  he  attended  again  in  the 
afternoon.  He  came  to  the  prayer-meetings, 
stopped  drinking,  and  gave  every  evidence 
of  being  a  changed  man.  At  the  next  com- 
munion he  was  asked  to  join  the  church ; 
but  his  reply  was,  'Not  yet;  for  fifty  years 
I  have  been,  as  every  body  knows,  a  poor 
forlorn  drunkard,  and  they  might  think  it 
was  hasty  for  me  to  join  the  church  at  once.* 
At  the   succeeding  communion   he    united 


12         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

with  the  church,  and  lived  a  humble,  con- 
sistent Christian  until  his  death  five  years 
after.  He  was  eighty-three  years  old  when 
the  seed,  planted  eighty  years  before  by  a 
pious  mother,  long  since  dead,  produced 
fruit." 

Let  us  therefore  bear  in  mind,  as  among 
the  old  things,  that  God's  messengers  are 
called  and  sent  by  Him  ;  that  teachers  in  the 
church  are  appointed  by  Him;  that  every 
Christian  is  a  witness  for  Him.  And  let 
Christian  parents  remember,  as  one  among 
the  oldest  of  things,  God's  covenant  Avith  us 
and  our  children,  and  the  obligations  resting 
upon  us,  and  the  rights  of  our  children  be- 
cause of  that  covenant.  Let  us  give  them  to 
the  Lord  when  babes,  and  bring  them  to 
Jesus  when  very  little  children.  He  will  take 
them  up  in  His  arms,  put  His  hands  upon 
them  and  bless  them  (Mark  10:13);  and 
they  will  never  forget  it.  Satisfied  early 
with  His  mercy,  they  will  rejoice  and  be 
glad  all  their  days  (Psm.  90  :  14,  16). 

MESSENGERS   OF   GOD. 

Many  Sunday-school  teachers,  especially 
those  in  mission-schools,  are  doing  the  work 
of  evangelists,  carrying  the  gospel  to  the 
lost.     All  such  should  examine  their  call  and 


MESSENGERS    OF    GOD.  1 3 

their  qualifications  to  act  as  a  messenger  of 
tlie  Lord.  The  following  questions  may 
assist  in  making  such  an  examination  : 

Do  you  believe  with  your  heart  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  ?    (Rom.  lo  :  lo). 

Do  you  love  Him,  and  His  word,  and  His 
people?     (John  14  :  23  ;   13  :  34). 

Have  you  a  desire  to  glorify  Him  }     (Rev. 

1  :  5,  6). 

Have  you  presented  your  body  a  living 
sacrifice  unto  God.^  (Rom.  12  :  i,  2  ;  i  Cor. 
6  :  20;  Tit.  2  :  12). 

Have  you  a  desire  to  bring  souls  to  Him  to 
be  saved  .^  (r  Cor.  9  :  19,  20,  21 ;  7  :  16 ;  Rom. 
II  :  14;  James  5  :  20;  Acts  4  :  12). 

Do  you  receive  the  doctrine  that  salva- 
tion is  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ } 
(Rom.  5:1;  Eph.  2  :  8,  9;  John  3 :  16,  36). 

Do  you  know  that  your  teaching  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  word  of  God }  (Isai.  8  :  20 ; 

2  Pet.  I  :  21  ;  Matt.  15  :  9). 

Do  you  seek  first  by  prayer  and  the  study 
of  that  word  the  teaching  of  the  Holy 
Ghost?     (John  16  :  13,  14;  14:26.) 

Do  you  seek  to  hold  up  Christ,  so  that 
with  Paul  you  can.  say,  "  We  preach  not  our- 
selves, but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord"?  (2  Cor. 
4  :  5  ;   I  Cor.  2:2;  John  12  :  32). 

Do  you,  like  Paul,  not  counting  that  you 


14         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

have  fully  attained,  seek  to  grow  in  grace 
and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  ?  (Phil.  3  :  8,  1 2  ;  2  P^t. 
3:  18;  John  17:3). 

Do  you  seek  to  have  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  with  you  ?  and  do  you  look  to  Him  to 
prosper  your  work.''  (Matt.  28:20;  Mark 
16  :  20), 

Are  you  ready,  when  the  Lord  calls  you  to 
any  work  anywhere,  to  answer,  "  Here  am  I, 
send  me  " ?  (Isai.  6  :  S;  Acts  13:2;  10:19; 
16  :  6,  10). 

Are  you  as  ready  to  teach  one  or  two  in  a 
mission  field,  as  a  large  number  in  a  city 
church.?  Remember  some  of  Christ's  great- 
est addresses  were  to  individuals :  to  the 
woman  at  Jacob's  well  (John  4:29);  and  to 
Nicodemus  (John  3).  Paul  preached  to  a  few 
women  gathered  at  a  prayer-meeting  by  a 
river's  side ;  and  the  result  was  the  conver- 
sion of  Lydia,  the  founding  of  the  church  at 
Philippi,  and  the  planting  of  the  gospel  in 
Europe  (Acts  16:  13). 

Can  you  speak  that  which  you  know  from 
your  own  experience  of  the  joys  of  salva- 
tion.? The  blind,  the  deaf,  the  dead,  cannot 
teach  what  they  can  neither  feel  nor  know. 
The  leper  when  cleansed,  the  blind  man  to 
Vv^hom  sight  was  given,  the  man  out  of  whom 


MESSENGERS    OF    GOD.  1 5 

the  devils  were  cast,  all  spoke  what  they 
knew  and  what  they  felt.  What  an  impres- 
sion is  made,  when  some  poor  outcast,  or 
some  drunkard,  who  has  been  in  the  depths, 
in  a  plain,  simple  manner  gives  an  account 
of  his  former  degradation,  wretchedness,  and 
despair;  and  then  speaks  of  his  deliverance 
through  faith  in  Christ,  and  of  his  present 
joy  and  peace.  You  should  be  enabled  to 
say,  "  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God, 
who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me" 
(Gal.  2  :  20).  "  The  Lord  heard  my  cry :  He 
brought  me  up  also  out  of  an  horrible  pit, 
out  of  the  miry  clay,  and  set  my  feet  upon  a 
rock  and  established  my  goings.  And  He 
hath  put  a  new  song  in  my  mouth,  praise 
unto  our  God  "  (Psm.  40  :  i).  Relying  upon 
the  word  of  God,  you  should  know  that,  be- 
lieving in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  all  your 
sins  are  forgiven  (Col.  1:14;  Acts  2:38; 
10  :  43  ;  26  :  18  ;  i  John  2:12);  that  you  have 
eternal  life  (John  3:  36;  i  John  5:13);  that 
you  are  saved  (Rom.  8:1;  i  Pet.  2  :  24 ; 
Titus  3:5;  Eph.  1:7);  that  all  things  are 
working  together  for  your  good  (Rom. 
8:28);  and  that  all  things  present  and  to 
come  are  now  yours  (i  Cor.  3:21).  Re- 
joicing thus  in  your  own  salvation,  through 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  you  will  have 


1 6         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

power  in  drawing  others  to  Him.  Many- 
Christians,  really  children  of  God,  not  see- 
ing the  fulness  there  is  in  Christ ;  looking 
to  themselves,  and  depending  upon  them- 
selves, instead  of  upon  Christ  alone;  and 
not  taking  the  word  of  God  as  it  is  plainly 
written ;  deprive  themselves  of  the  joy  and 
peace  which  come  through  faith,  and  are  not 
fit  to  be  teachers  of  others.  The  promises 
made  to  faith  are  all  in  the  present  tense,  and 
are  to  be  realized  and  to  be  rejoiced  in  noiv. 
**  Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with 
God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ" 
(Rom.  5:1);  "  He  that  believeth  hath  eternal 
life  "  (John  3  :  36)  ;  "  is  passed  from  death 
unto  life"  (John  5:24).  And  the  motives 
to  love  and  good  works  are  :  Because  ye  are 
sons  of  God,  children  of  the  light,  redeemed, 
bought  with  a  price,  therefore  be  ye  follow- 
ers of  God  as  dear  children  (Gal.  4:6;  i 
Cor.  6  :  20 ;  2  Cor.  7:1;  Eph.  4:32;  5:1). 

The  Apostle  John  considered  it  so  import- 
ant that  believers  should  be  assured  of  their 
salvation  that  he  uses  very  strong  language. 
"  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God  hath 
the  witness  in  himself :  he  that  believeth  not 
God  had  made  him  a  liar;  because  he  be- 
lieveth not  the  record  that  God  gave  of  His 
Son.     And  this  is' the  record,  that  God  hath 


MESSENGERS   OF    GOD.  1 7 

given  to  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  His 
Son."  "These  things  have  I  written  unto 
you  that  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of 
God ;  that  ye  may  know  that  ye  have  eternal 
life  "  (i  John  5  :  10).  The  lamented  Harlan 
Page,  who  was  so  active,  devoted,  and  suc- 
cessful in  leading  sinners  to  Christ,  when  on 
his  dying-bed  was  for  a  time  in  much  men- 
tal distress.  He  wished  for  clear  evidence 
of  his  union  to  Christ,  and  to  have  a  constant 
sense  of  His  immediate  presence.  He  said 
he  had  been  endeavoring  to  examine  his  past 
life,  but  it  was  all  a  blank.  "  Oh  !"  said  he 
to  a  Christian  friend,  "  I  have  done  nothing 
for  Christ.  What  an  unprofitable  life  have  I 
lived !  How  can  one  be  a  Christian  who  has 
done  no  more  to  prevent  his  acquaintances, 
and  even  his  own  household,  from  going 
down  to  hell?"  His  friend  tried  in  vain  to 
comfort  him.  A  few  days  after,  he  called  on 
him  and  found  that  the  desire  of  his  heart 
was  granted.  Christ  was  with  him  ;  and  his 
emphatic  language  was,  "  It  seems  as  if  I 
never  knew  before  what  it  was  to  love  Him." 
He  appeared  to  have  a  new  view  of  the  love 
of  Christ,  which  he  was  anxious  to  commu- 
nicate. He  had  turned  his  thoughts  to 
Christ's  works  and  words,  and  death  for 
sinners.     He   had  evidence   of  his   love   to 


1 8         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

Christ  also  from  another  source ;  he  said,  "  I 
love  His  people.  Oh  !  how  my  heart  goes  out 
toward  all  the  dear  brethren  who  love 
Christ,  and  are  trying  to  save  poor  sinners 
from  hell."  The  cloud  returned  no  more 
till  his  spirit  took  its  upward  flight.  The 
joy  and  peace  obtained  by  this  devoted,  ear- 
nest Christian  Avorker  on  his  dying-bed, 
came,  then,  simply  by  faith  in  the  w^ords  and 
work  of  the  Lord  Jesus;  and  any  of  us  can 
have  the  same  joy  and  peace  all  our  lives 
long,  by  believing  the  record  which  God  has 
given  of  Flis  Son  (i  John  5:11,  13  ;  i  Pet. 
1:8;  Rom.  15  :  13  ;  Phil.  4  :  4).  The  follow- 
ing answer  to  the  first  question  in  the  Hei- 
delberg Catechism  should  be  the  happy  ex- 
perience of  all  Christians,  especially  of  those 
who  are  desirous  of  teaching  others. 

"  Question.  What  is  thy  only  comfort  in 
life  and  death  ? 

*'  Answ^er.  That  I,  W'ith  body  and  soul  (i 
Cor.  6  :  19,  20),  both  in  life  and  death  (Rom. 
14 :  7,  8,  9),  am  not  my  own,  but  belong  unto 
my  faithful  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  (i  Cor. 
3  :  23),  w^ho,  with  His  precious  blood  (i  Pet. 

1  :  18,  19),  hath  fully  satisfied  for  all  my  sins 
(i  John  I  :  7),  and  delivered  me  from  all 
the  power  of  the  devil  (i  John  s  :  S;  Heb. 

2  :  14,  15) ;  and  so  preserves  me   (John  6  :  39  ; 


MESSENGERS    OF    GOD.  1 9 

10:28,  29),  that,  without  the  will  of  my 
Heavenly  Father,  not  a  hair  can  fall  from 
my  head  (Luke  21:18;  Matt.  10  :  30)  ;  yea, 
all  things  must  be  subservient  to  my  salva- 
tion (Rom.  8:28);  and  therefore,  by  His 
Holy  Spirit,  He  also  assures  me  of  eternal 
life  (2  Cor.  i  :  22;  5  :  5),  and  makes  me  sin- 
cerely willing  and  ready  henceforth  to  live 
unto  Him  (Rom.  8  :  14;  7  :  22)." 

Having  this  faith,  you  may  become  an 
effective  teacher,  though  living  in  obscurity, 
sickness,  and  poverty.  A  short  time  since,  a 
young  lady,  w^ealthy  and  moving  in  our  first 
circles,  was  noticed  distributing  among  her 
acquaintances  tracts  conveying  pure  gospel 
truth,  teaching  a  present  salvation,  as  well 
as  eternal,  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
to  be  enjoyed  and  rejoiced  in.  A  friend, 
knowing  she  attended  one  of  our  fashionable 
churches,  asked  her  where  she  got  those  clear 
views  (which  she  evidently  had  in  her  own 
experience),  and  what  minister  she  heard 
them  from  ?  Her  reply  was,  "  I  did  not  get 
them  from  any  minister.  I  was  induced  to 
call  on  Mrs.  C,  who  has  been  confined  to 
her  bed  for  eighteen  years,  and  is  supported 
by  charity.  Her  submissive  spirit,  in  her 
poverty  and  her  long  affliction,  her  know- 
ledge of  the  Bible,  her  clear  views  of  Jesus 


20         A    WORD    TO    CHRISVIAN    TEACHERS. 

and  of  salvation  through  faith  in  Him,  her 
peace  and  joy,  have  led  me,  and  also  others, 
to  trust  in  Jesus ;  and  committing  myself 
to  Him,  and  looking  constantly  to  Him,  I 
have  peace  and  joy."  This  young  lady  has 
Bible  readings,  attended  by  many  old  Chris- 
tians who  are  deriving  benefit  from  the 
teachings  of  rhe  poor,  obscure,  bedridden  in- 
valid, one  of  God's  messengers. 

Many  Christians  make  a  mistake  in  think- 
ing that  we  are  not  saved  until  we  are  in 
heaven.  We  hear,  sometimes,  ministers  close 
their  prayers  with,  '•  Save  us  at  last."  What- 
ever they  mean  by  that  phrase,  it  should  not 
be  used.  The  word  of  God  teaches  that  be- 
lievers arc  saved  (i  Cor.  i  :  i8 ;  2  Cor.  2:15; 
Eph.  2:5;  2  Tim.  1:9;  Titus  3:5);  that 
their  salvation  is  now — and  forever.  "  The 
believer  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not 
come  into  condemnation ;  but  is  passed  from 
death  unto  life"  (John  5  :  24 ;  i  John  5  :  13). 
Because  they  are  saved  they  are  told,  "  Work 
out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling"— with  anxious  care  or  solicitude — (2 
Cor.  7:15).  "  For  it  is  God  which  worketh  in 
you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure" 
(Phil.  2  :  12).  "Giving  thanks  unto  the  Fa- 
ther which  hath  made  us  meet  to  be  partakers 
of   the   inheritance   of    the   saints  in   light. 


MESSENGERS    OF    GOD.  21 

Who  hath  delivered  us  from  the  power  of 
darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into  the 
kingdom  of  His  dear  Son,  in  whom  we  have 
redemption  through  His  blood,  even  the  for- 
giveness of  sins"  (Col.  I  :  lo,  12,  13,  14). 

Many  teach  that  our  great  aim  should  be 
to  be  prepared  for  death,  whereas  our  great 
aim  should  be  to  be  prepared  to  live.  To  use 
the  language  of  another, "  Many  people  think 
that  religion  is  only  a  preparation  for  the  safe 
passage  across  the  river  of  death  into  the  land 
of  immortality.  You  are  not  to  prepare  for 
death,  God  will  take  care  of  that.  God  has 
given  you  an  immortal  soul  and  the  power 
to  influence  your  fellow-men.  Dying  is  only 
instantaneous  experience,  but  living  is  awful. 
It  isn't  so  solemn  a  thought  that  we  may  die 
at  five  o'clock,  but  that  we  may  live  till  five 
o'clock.  It  is  awful  to  live;  for  in  our  jokes, 
in  our  speeches,  in  our  publications,  in  our 
daily  intercourse,  we  are  so  unconsciously 
exerting  an  influence  over  our  fellow-men 
which  may  go  on  forever  and  forever; 
therefore  living  is  so  awful.  Therefore 
Christianity  knows  that  to  prepare  a  man  for 
living  is  to  prepare  him  also  for  dying." 

If  you  can  answer,  then,  to  your  own  con- 
science that  you  know  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
that  you  have  received  Him  and  His  salva- 


22  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

tion  as  freely  offered  in  the  Gospel ;  that  you 
have  peace  and  joy  through  believing;  and 
that,  constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ  and 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  your  desire  is  to 
lead  others  to  Christ,  that  He  may  be  glorified 
and  that  they  may  be  saved,  you  may  be  sure 
that  you  are  called  of  God  to  speak,  and  your 
word  will  be  attended  with  power. 

MOTIVES. 

As  laborers  in  Christ's  vineyard,  it  is  w^ell 
for  us  to  examine  not  only  our  credentials, 
but  also  our  motives.  These  may  be  selfish 
and  worldly.  We  may  be  laboring  to  quiet 
conscience,  or  to  earn  heaven,  or  to  be  seen 
of  men.  Even  such  laborers  receive  pay; 
but  it  is  in  this  world  only.  Jesus  says, 
*'  They  who  give  alms,  who  make  long  pray- 
ers to  be  seen  of  men,  have  their  reward" 
(Matt.  6  :  2,  5).  They  who  assisted  in  build- 
ing the  temple  were  paid  for  their  labor,  and 
so  w^ere  Noah's  carpenters,  but  they  were  not 
saved.  Jesus  told  His  disciples,  "  In  the  world 
ye  shall  have  tribulation"  (John  16:33); 
"Ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's 
sake"  (Matt.  10:22);  "  Woe  unto  you  when 
all  men  shall  speak  well  of  you"  (Luke 
6 :  26).  Speaking  of  Paul,  Jesus  said,  "  I 
will  show  him  how  great  things  he  must  suf- 


MOTIVES.  23 

fer  for  my  name's  sake"  (Acts  9  :  16).  Paul 
gives  an  account  of  the  pay  he  received  for 
his  preaching  :  he  says,  "  Five  times  received 

I  forty  stripes  save  one ;  thrice  was  I  beaten 
with  rods,  once  was  I  stoned,  etc.,  etc.  (2  Cor. 

II  :  24).  Yet  he  rejoiced  while  thus  suffering 
for  Christ  (Col.  1:24;  2  Cor.  7:4'  Phil. 
2:17);  and  said,  "  Our  light  affliction,  which 
is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory" 
(2  Cor.  4  :  17).  Christians,  however,  are  en- 
couraged to  look  for  a  reward  both  now  aijd 
hereafter  for  any  sacrifice  made  for  Christ. 
He  says,  "  Whosoever  shall  give  a  cup  of  cold 
water  only  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  shall  in 
no  wise  lose  liis  reward"  (Matt.  10 :  42). 
"There  is  no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or 
parents,  or  wife,  or  children  for  the  kingdom 
of  God's  sake,  who  shall  not  receive  mani- 
fold more  in  this  present  time,  and  in  tlie 
world  to  come  life  everlasting"  (Luke 
18  -.  29  ;  Matt.  19:29;  25  :  34).  "  Well  done, 
good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been 
faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee 
ruler  over  many  things  :  enter  thou  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord"  (Matt.  25  :  21).  Moses  "  had 
respect  unto  the  recompense  of  the  reward" 
(Heb.  II  :  26).  Paul  said,  "I  have  fought  a 
good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have 


24         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

kept  the  faith  :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for 
me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  sliall  give  to  me 
at  that  day :  and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all 
them  also  that  love  His  appearing"  (2  Tim. 
4  :  8),  And  even  Christ  said,  when  about  to 
leave  the  world,  *'  I  have  finished  the  work 
which  Thou  gavest  me  to  do;  and  now,  O 
Father,  glorify  Thou  me  with  Thine  own 
self,  w4th  the  glory  which  I  had  with  Thee 
before  the  world  was"  (John  17:5).  We  are 
rew^arded  in  our  preparation  to  teach  as  well 
as  for  the  teaching;  for  by  it  we  grow  in 
grace  and  knowledge.  "  The  liberal  soul 
(or  the  soul  of  blessing)  shall  be  made  fat ; 
and  he  that  w^atereth  shall  be  watered  also 
himself"  (Prov,  11:25).  We  are  often  re- 
warded by  those  w^hom  we  attempt  to  teach. 
Paul  showed  not  only  Christian  courtesy 
but  much  wisdom  when,  writing  to  the  con- 
verts in  Rome,  he  said,  "  I  long  to  see  you, 
that  I  may  impart  unto  you  some  spiritual 
gift,  to  the  end  ye  may  be  established ;  that 
is,  that  I  may  be  comforted  (or  cheered)  to- 
gether with  you  by  the  mutual  faith  both  of 
you  and  me"  (Rom.  1:12;  15  :  24,  32  ;  Acts 
II  :  23;  2  Cor.  7  :  13).  Many,  who  have  vis- 
ited sick  or  dying  Christians  to  cheer  them, 
have  often  felt,  when  leaving  them,  that  they 


MOTIVES.  25 

have  received  much  more  than  they  have 
given.  The  submissive  spirit,  the  faith  and 
joy  of  the  sufferers,  made  them  the  teachers. 
By  drawing  out  the  knowledge  and  faith  of 
their  fellow-Christians,  ministers  and  teach- 
ers may  have  their  own  increased. 

But  there  are  higher  motives  than  that  of 
looking  for  a  reward.  He,  who  rushing 
through  fire  and  smoke  to  save  a  child  from 
a  burning  house,  or  who  plunges  into  the 
ocean  to  save  a  drowning  man,  does  not 
think  of  a  reward.  His  aim  is  to  save,  and 
he  is  willing  to  risk  his  life  in  doing  so. 
Love  is  the  greatest  motive  power  in  the 
universe.  "  God  is  love,  and  every  one  that 
loveth  is  born  of  God"  (i  John  4 :  7,  8). 
*'  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  bclieveth 
in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life."  Jesus  gave  Himself;  His  chil- 
dren have  the  same  spirit.  "If  any  man 
have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of 
His"  (Rom.  8  :  9).  "  The  love  of  God  is  shed 
abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
which  is  given  unto  us"  (Rom.  5  :  5).  "  The 
love  of  Christ  constraineth  us:  because  we 
thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were 
all  dead:  and  that  He  died  for  all,  that  they 
which  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto 


26  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

themselves,  but  unto  Him  which  died  for 
them  and  rose  again"  (2  Cor.  5  :  14).  Moved 
therefore  by  that  love,  we  cannot  but  try  to 
save  others,  and  with  Paul  exclaim,  "  Woe 
is  unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel"  (i 
Cor.  9  :  16).  "The  earth  and  the  works  that 
are  therein  shall  be  burned  up"  (2  Pet.  3  :  10). 
All  around  us  are  souls  perishing.  If  we  are 
ready  to  risk  our  lives  to  save  the  temporal 
life  of  others,  shall  we  not  strive  more  ear- 
nestly to  save  them  from  eternal  death  ? 

MANNER. 

The  manner  of  delivering  the  message 
committed  to  us  is  of  great  importance.  As 
ambassadors  for  Christ,  we  should  keep  self 
out  of  sight  and  always  present  the  Lord  and 
lift  Him  up  (John  3:14;  12:32;  i  Cor. 
2:2;  1:18;  2  Cor.  4  :  5).  We  are  to  come 
with  the  message,  "Thus  saith  the  Lord." 
We  should  not  present  it  as  if  we  had  any 
doubt  of  it,  or  were  indifferent  to  it,  or  to 
the  Lord,  or  to  those  to  whom  it  is  sent. 
We  should  not  deliver  it  as  a  matter  of  form 
or  mere  duty,  or  as  a  college  student  does 
an  essay ;  but  we  should  show  in  our  manner 
that  w^e  have  a  message  from  God  to  men,  to 
the  saved  and  the  lost,  and  are  constrained 
to  deliver  it.     Our  whole  soul  should  be  in- 


MANNER.  27 

terested  in  it,  for  life  or  death  depends  upon 
its  reception.  It  is  to  be  a  savor  of  life 
unto  life  or  of  death  unto  death  (2  Cor. 
2  :  16).  "He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth  not 
shall  be  damned"  (Mark  16  :  16).  If  we  were 
to  go  into  a  house  on  fire,  to  v/arn  the  in- 
mates to  escape  for  their  lives,  could  they 
think  there  was  any  danger  if  we  drew  their 
attention  to  other  subjects,  or  showed  no 
anxiety  on  their  account .''  There  is  no  more 
solemn  sight  in  the  world  to  men  and  angels 
than  that  of  a  concourse  of  anxious  souls 
with  faces  uplifted  to  hear  a  Gospel  mes- 
sage. It  is  related  of  Jesus,  that  "  when  He 
saw  the  multitudes,  He  was  moved  with  com- 
passion on  them,  because  they  fainted  and 
were  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd"  (Matt. 
9  :  36).  Looking  as  He  did  at  times  upon 
four  and  five  thousand  anxious  faces,  and 
knowing  what  was  in  each  heart,  its  burden, 
its  capabilities,  and  its  destiny,  no  wonder 
that  He  was  moved  with  compassion ;  no 
wonder  that  He  said  unto  His  disciples, 
"  The  harvest  truly  is  plenteous,  but  the  la- 
borers are  few ;  pray  ye,  therefore,  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest  that  He  will  send  forth  labor- 
ers into  His  harvest"  (Matt.  9  :  37).  Let  us 
be  thus  moved  with  compassion  when  we 


28  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

speak  in  Christ's  name;  for  every  heart  has  a 
burden,  and  knoweth  its  own  bitterness 
(Prov.  14 :  10),  ahhough  -vve  may  not  be 
able  to  see  it,  and  every  unsaved  heart  has  a 
skeleton  in  it. 

Fill  your  own  heart  wdth  your  message,  and 
then  you  will  be  eloquent  in  delivering  it ; 
for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the 
mouth  speaketh  (Matt.  12  :  34;  Acts  4  :  20). 

Use  the  most  simple  words  and  Bible  lan- 
guage where  practicable,  so  that  the  most 
ignorant  in  the  congregation  may  understand 
you,  and  even  children  become  interested. 
There  is  a  powder  in  simplicity  and  earnest- 
ness, even  w^ith  the  most  cultivated.  Speak 
so  distinctly  that  the  poor  man  by  the  door, 
who  is  a  little  deaf,  may  hear  every  word. 

Keep  command  of  your  voice.  Speak  nat- 
urally. *'  When  most  impressed,  be  self-pos- 
sessed." Despise  theatrical  airs.  Don't  try 
to  imitate  another,  but  be  yourself. 

Shun  debt.  It  will  be  like  a  millstone 
around  your  neck.  It  will  interfere  wnth 
your  comfort,  your  studies,  and  your  influ- 
ence. Ministers  holding  high  positions  have 
lost  all  by  assuming  responsibilities  they 
could  not  meet.  What  influence  for  good 
can  a  Christian  teacher  have,  when,  as  has 
been  the  case,  men  speaking  of  him  would 


MANNER. 


29 


say,  "  I  would  not  trust  him  or  take  his  word 
for  a  dollar"  ?  Many  a  minister  has  become 
involved  in  trying  to  build  a  church  edifice, 
with  the  hope  that  a  building  may  draw  the 
people,  forgetting  that  the  church  is  a  con- 
gregation of  believers,  not  the  building  they 
meet  in.  Aim  then  to  build  churches,  as 
Paul  did,  by  gathering  souls  unto  Christ. 
and  then  let  them  put  up  buildings  for  them- 
selves. "  Owe  no  man  any  thing  but  to  love 
one  another"  (Rom.  13:8);  "No  man  that 
warreth  entangleth  himself  with  the  affairs 
of  this  life"  (2  Tim.  2  :  4). 

Man  is  said  to  be  a  bundle  of  habits. 
There  is  no  doubt  we  are  in  a  great  degree 
creatures  of  habit.  Therefore  examine  your 
habits  of  body,  mind,  and  heart.  To  be  ec- 
centric, careless,  or  a  sloven,  is  no  sign  of 
being  a  genius  or  of  having  common  sense. 
A  bad  habit  is  a  crime.  Put  aside,  therefore, 
every  bad  habit  and  put  on  good  ones. 
There  may  be  a  temporary  self-denial ;  there 
is  sure  to  be  a  lasting  enjoyment. 

Paul,  speaking  of  his  consecration  of  him- 
self with  all  his  powers  to  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  says :  "  For  though  I  be  free 
from  all  men,  yet  have  I  made  myself  ser- 
vant unto  all  that  I  might  gain  the  more." 
"  Unto  the  Jews  I  became  as  a  Jew,  that  I 


30  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

might  gain  the  Jews.  To  the  weak  became 
I  as  weak,  that  I  might  gain  the  w^eak  :  I  am 
made  all  things  to  all  men,  that  I  might  by- 
all  means  save  some."  I  bring  myself  down 
to  all,  I  sympathize  with  all,  I  subject  myself 
to  self-denials,  I  strive  against  the  flesh,  "  I 
therefore  so  run,  not  as  uncertainly  ;  so  fight 
I,  not  as  one  that  beateth  the  air :  but  I  keep 
under  my  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection  : 
lest  that  by  any  means,  when  I  have  preach- 
ed to  others,  I  myself  should  be  a  castaway'* 
(be  disapproved  or  rejected),  and  my  preach- 
ing be  fruitless  (i  Cor.  9  :  16-27).  Where- 
soever you  are  in  the  church  or  in  the  w^orld, 
"  let  your  conversation  be  as  becometh  the 
gospel  of  Christ  "  (Phil,  i  :  27).  Ever}'  act 
and  every  word  of  an  ambassador  is  weighed. 
A  single  act  may  destroy  all  your  usefulness 
as  a  Christian  teacher. 

Do  not  be  tempted  to  be  careless  or  negli- 
gent in  your  preparation,  even  when  with  a 
class  or  in  a  field,  in  your  view,  below  your 
powers ;  but,  wherever  you  are,  do  what  you 
have  to  do  with  all  your  might.  Not  long 
since,  a  graduate  from  one  of  our  seminaries 
was  visited  at  a  mission  station  where  he  was 
located.  He  was  away  fishing,  at  which  he 
spent  much  of  his  time.  When  spoken  to  in 
reference  to  it,  his  reply  was,  *'  I  can  prepare 


MANNER.  31 

£1  sermon  good  enough  for  these  people  in 
fifteen  minutes."  It  was  not  long  before  he 
was  going  round  trying  to  sell  books  for  a 
living. 

Guard  against  any  appearance  of  harsh- 
ness or  severity  in  delivering  your  message. 
A  man  may  teach  or  preach  even  a  good 
sermon  in  such  a  manner  as  not  only  to  spoil 
the  effect  of  it,  but  likewise  impair  his  use- 
fulness as  a  minister  or  teacher  ever  after. 
Be  careful  to  speak  the  truth  in  love,  and 
show  that  you  sympathize  with  those  to 
whom  you  speak.  Aim  to  win  their  hearts. 
Paul  says,  "  Knowing  the  terror  men  have 
of  the  Lord,  we  persuade  men"  (2  Cor.  5:11). 

There  is  one  peculiarity  in  regard  to  Paul's 
manner  of  preaching  and  teaching  worthy  of 
particular  notice,  that  is,  he  was  constantly 
beseeching  men.  In  his  epistles,  seventeen 
times  appear  the  words,  "  I  beseech  you."' 
After  speaking  of  sin  and  of  our  lost  con- 
dition by  nature;  of  the  law  and  of  our  just 
condemnation  ;  of  the  work  of  Christ  and  of 
our  salvation  through  faith  in  him ;  and  of 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  our  privileges 
as  sons  of  God,  he  says,  "  I  beseech  you 
therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice, 
holy,  acceptable  unto    God,  which   is  your 


32  A    WORD    TO   CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

reasonable  service"  (Rom.  12:1).  And  again, 
"  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  for  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ's  sake  and  for  the  love  of  the  Spirit  " 
(Rom.  15  :  30).  "I  beseech  you  by  the  meek- 
ness and  gentleness  of  Christ"  (2  Cor.  10  :  i). 
*'  I  therefore,  the  prisoner  of  the  Lord,  beseech 
you"  (Eph.  4 :  i).  "Though  I  might  be  bold 
to  enjoin  thee,  yet  for  love's  sake  I  rather 
beseech  thee"  (Philemon  8).  And  he  even 
speaks  of  God  as  beseeching,  *'  As  though 
God  did  beseech  you  by  us  :  we  pray  you  in 
Christ's  stead  be  ye  reconciled  to  God  '"  (2 
Cor.  5  :  20 ;  6  :  i).  Paul  gives  us  the  manner 
of  his  beseeching :  *'  I  ceased  not  to  warn 
every  man  night  and  day  with  tears"  (Acts 
20  :  31).  Such  preaching  and  such  teaching 
shoVvTs  the  unction  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  is 
always  attended  with  power.  "  Love  never 
faileth"  (i  Cor.  13  :  8). 

Among  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are  love, 
joy,  peace,  and  faith  (Gal.  5  :  22).  Terror 
of  the  Lord,  gloom  and  doubts,  are  the  fruits 
of  unbelief.  "  A  moping  Christian  is  a  mon- 
ster." A  long  face  is  not  an  expression  of 
Christianity.  A  morose  and  gloomy  Chris- 
tian wuU  repel,  rather  than  draw  others  to 
Christ.  Ignorance  of  the  truth,  or  weakness 
of  faith,  if  you  are  a  Christian,  will  make  you 
a  doubting  one.     And  a  doubter  will  make 


MANNER. 


33 


doubters,  instead  of  believers ;  therefore  be  a 
believer,  if  you  wish  to  make  others  believe. 

Remember  3^our  bodies  are  Christ's  (i  Cor. 
6  :  20).  Therefore  present  them  to  Him  a 
living  sacrifice  (Rom.  12:1).  There  is  such 
a  connection  between  our  bodies  and  our 
spirits  that  the  one  affects  the  other.  An 
ailing  body  sometimes  interferes  with  our 
Christian  hope,  and  is  apt  to  impair  a 
message.  We  may  mistake  the  miseries  of 
a  weak  digestion  for  the  hidings  of  God's 
face.  A  dyspeptic  man  is  apt  to  preach  a 
dyspeptic  sermon.  Cultivate,  therefore,  the 
health  of  your  body  as  well  as  the  soul 
(3  John  2). 

Avoid  the  habit  of  whining  when  you  ask 
God  for  what  you  need.  You  would  not 
like  your  children,  every  time  they  come  to 
you,  to  be  whining  and  groaning.  We  should 
always  rejoice  when  we  meet  the  Lord,  and 
address  Him  as  loving  children,  rather  than 
as  trembling  slaves.  The  fear  of  the  Lord 
spoken  of  in  the  Old  Testament  is  the  loving 
reverence  of  a  child,  not  the  dread  of  a  slave. 
Again  and  again  the  Psalmist  tells  us,  ''  Let 
us  come  before  His  presence  with  thanks- 
giving, and  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  Him  :" 
"Be  glad  in  the  Lord,  and  rejoice,  ye  right- 
eous,   and    shout    for    joy"  (Psm.    95:1,  2; 


34  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

loo  :  2  ;  Psm.  32  :  ii  ;  ;^^  :  i).  Jesus  says, 
"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that 
my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that  your 
joy  might  be  full  "  (John  15  :  11).  When  He 
appeared  to  them  at  their  first  prayer-meet- 
ing, it  is  said,  "  Then  were  the  disciples  glad, 
when  they  saw  the  Lord"  (John  20  :  20).  No 
wonder,  then,  that  Paul  exclaims,  "  Rejoice 
in  the  Lord  alway  :  and  again  I  say,  Rejoice" 

(Phil.  4:4). 

Other  fruits  of  the  Spirit  much  needed  by 
teachers  are,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  and 
meekness  (Gal.  5  :  22).  "  The  servant  of  the 
Lord  must  not  strive  ;  but  be  gentle  unto  all, 
apt  to  teach,  patient,  in  meekness  instructing 
those  that  oppose  themselves  ;  if  God  perad- 
venture  will  give  them  repentance  to  the  ac- 
knowledging of  the  truth"  (2  Tim.  2  :  24). 
Arguments  will  not  convince  a  man  against 
his  will ;  fear  drives  men  from  God  (Gen. 
3 :  8,  10).  Jesus  says,  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up 
from  the  earth,  will  drav^^  all  unto  me"  (John 
12  :  32 ;  3:14,  15  ;  i  Cor.  i :  i8,  23,  24  ;  2  :  2). 

Remember  that  you  are  only  an  instru- 
ment in  God's  hands :  that  you  may  plant, 
or  you  may  water  what  others  have  planted, 
but  God  gives  the  increase.  So  then  neither 
is  he  that  planteth  any  thing,  neither  he 
that  watereth ;  but  God  that  giveth  the  in- 


MANNER.  35 

crease  (i  Cor.  3  :  7).  Keep  this  in  mind,  for 
you  will  be  tempted  to  glorify  self :  as  has 
been  said,  "  You  will  fmd  the  devil  patting 
you  on  the  back  and  saying,  That  was  good  !" 

Be  ready  to  be  laid  aside  when  your  work 
is  done,  and  with  John  the  Baptist  to  say, 
"  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease" 
(John  3:30).  We  can  rejoice  even  when 
laid  aside;  for  as  members  of  Christ  we  are 
partakers  of  His  increase  and  of  His  glory 
(Rom.  8:  17). 

There  is  sometimes  shown  a  great  want  of 
reverence  in  the  use  of  the  name  of  God ; 
sometimes  using  that  name  to  fill  up  blank 
spaces  in  prayer.  Ministers  in  sermons  will 
speak  about  Him,  and  discuss  His  nature  and 
His  attributes,  as  they  would  if  they  were 
talking  about  the  Emperor  of  China,  or  any 
distant  earthly  potentate ;  ignoring  the  actual 
presence  of  God.     This  is  a  great  mistake. 

In  our  prayers,  instead  of  looking  to 
Christ  as  the  way  to  the  Father — for  no  man 
Cometh  to  the  Father  except  by  him  (John 
14  :  6) — we  are  apt  to  think  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  speak  of  Him  as  if  He  were  al- 
ways, and  only,  within  the  veil — in  some  dis- 
tant part  of  the  universe.  It  is  very  impor- 
tant that  we  should  know  and  believe  the 
teachings  of  the  Bible  as  to  the  presence  of 


36  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

the  Holy  Ghost  in  believers,  and  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  with  believers,  especially  when 
they  meet  or  teach  in  His  name.  It  is  true 
that  God  is  always  omnipresent,  and  all  His 
creatures  live,  move,  and  have  their  being  in 
Him,  beast  as  well  as  man  ;  but  He  is  with 
His  people  in  a  different  sense.  He  mani- 
fests himself  to  them  as  He  does  not  to  the 
w^orld.  As  in  the  tabernacle,  and  in  the 
temple.  He  m.ade  His  presence  known  to  His 
people  as  their  God,  so  now,  believers,  the 
true  temples  of  God  (i  Cor.  3:16;  6:19; 
I  Pet.  2  :  5),  have  His  presence  manifested 
with  them  and  in  them.  Believing  his  word, 
the  presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus  should  be 
looked  for  and  realized,  whenever  two  or 
three  Christians  meet  in  His  name  (Matt. 
18  :  20).  And  they  who  speak,  or  pray,  should 
do  so  as  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
as  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  within  them 
(John  14  :  17  ;  Acts  2:4;  Rom.  8  :  14,  16,  26). 
They  would  then  have  divine  help,  as  well 
as  the  enjoyment  of  the  presence  of  the 
Lord. 

THE    HOLY    GHOST. 

Many  Christians  are  ignorant  of  the  Bible 
teachings  concerning  the  Holy  Ghost :  in 
regard  to  His  personality,  His  work,  and  His 


THE    HOLY    GHOST.  37 

presence  with  the  people  of  God.  Some  re- 
gard Him  as  an  influence,  instead  of  as  a 
person.  We  are  told  that  the  Holy  Spirit, 
as  a  person,  directs  the  movements  of  Chris- 
tians. The  Centurion  was  directed  to  send 
for  Peter;  and  the  Spirit  said  unto  Peter, 
"  Behold  three  men  seek  thee.  Go  with 
them,  for  I  have  sent  them"  (Acts  10:20). 
The  Holy  Ghost  said,  *'  Separate  me  Barnabas 
and  Saul  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called 
them"  (Acts  13:2).  So  they, being  sent  forth 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  departed  into  Seleucia 
(Acts  13  14).  Paul  and  Silas  were  forbidden 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  word  in 
Asia.  They  assayed  to  go  into  Bithynia,  but 
the  Spirit  suffered  them  not  (Acts  16:6,  7). 
Unto  the  ciders  of  the  church  in  Ephesus 
Paul  says,  *'  Take  heed  therefore  unto  your- 
selves, and  to  all  the  flock,  over  the  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers 
(bishops)  to  feed  the  church  of  God,  which 
He  hath  purchased  with  His  own  blood" 
(Acts  20  :  28).  Speaking  of  the  various  gifts 
of  the  Spirit,  Paul  says,  "  But  all  these  work- 
eth  that  one  and  the  self  same  Spirit,  divid- 
ing to  every  man  severally  as  He  will " 
(i  Cor.  12:11).  Let  us  recognize  the  con- 
stant presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  the 
Church,  controlling  and  correcting  it. 


35         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

The  manner  of  life  of  many  Christians, 
and  their  prayers,  would  be  very  different, 
if  they  felt  that  they  were  temples  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Many  appear  to  think  that 
they  meet  the  Holy  Ghost  only  at  prayer- 
meetings,  or  in  church.  It  is  true  we  may 
ask  for  special  outpourings  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  special  gifts  for  ourselves,  and 
for  the  conversion  of  sinners ;  but,  if  we  are 
Christians,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  in  us  before 
we  go  to  the  meeting,  and  prays  in  us  when 
there  (John  14:16;  Rom.  8:14,26).  That 
sweet  hymn  of  Cowper,  "  Oh  !  for  a  closer 
walk  with  God,"  is  often  improperly  used. 
Some  of  the  verses  are  only  suitable  for  a 
mourning  backslider  to  pray  over  in  his 
closet.  The  stanza,  "  Return,  O  holy  dove  !" 
teaches  that  the  Holy  Ghost  comes  to  and 
leaves  believers,  which  is  contrary  to  the 
teachings  of  Christ  (John  14:  16,  17  ;  and  of 
Paul,  I  Cor.  3:16;  6:19).  Christians  will 
sing,  week  after  week,  "  I  hate  the  sins  that 
made  Thee  mourn  and  drove  Thee  from  my 
breast,"  and  go  on  singing  the  same  for 
years,  doing  themselves  harm  all  the  time. 
They  do  not  sing  it  Avith  the  understanding 
and  the  heart,  or  they  would  not  sing  it  more 
than  once,  if  at  all.  There  is  such  a  thing 
as  making  a  self-righteousness  of  our  con- 


GOD    WALKING    WITH    BELIEVERS.  39 

fessions,  as  well  as  of  our  doubts  and  unbe- 
lief. Some  appear  to  think  it  presumption 
to  take  God  at  His  word,  and  find  fault  with 
those  who  find  peace  in  believing  it.  No 
one  can  truly  sing  the  rest  of  the  hymn, 
without  already  having  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
him.  Let  us  look  at  some  of  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible  as  to  the  dwelling  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  with  us,  and  of  His  abiding  with  us 
and  in  us. 

GOD    WALKING    AND    DWELLING    WITH 
BELIEVERS. 

The  communion  of  God  with  His  chosen 
people  is  taught  throughout  the  whole  Bible. 
He  repeatedly  manifested  Himself  to  Adam, 
to  the  patriarchs,  and  to  Moses.  Enoch 
walked  with  God  :  certainly  in  a  different 
sense  from  merely  trusting  in  Him.  In  the 
tabernacle  and  the  temple  God  made  His 
presence  visible,  but  did  not  confine  Himself 
to  any  place.  He  promised,  "  I  will  dwell 
among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  will  be 
their  God"  (Exod.  29  :  45  ;  Zech.  2  :  10) ;  "  I 
will  walk  among  you,  and  will  be  your  God, 
and  ye  shall  be  my  people"  (Levit.  26  :  12). 
As  Enoch  walked  with  God,  to  him  mani- 
festly present,  so  should  we,  each  one  of  us. 
We  should  believe  what  Jesus  said  in  reply 


40  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

to  the  question,  "  Lord,  how  is  it  that  Thou 
wilt  manifest  Thyself  unto  us,  and  not  unto 
the  world  ?"  Jesus  answered,  "  If  a  man  love 
me,  he  will  keep  my  words :  and  my  Father 
will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him, 
and  make  our  abode  with  him"  (John 
14  :  21,  23).  And  we  should  believe  the 
word  of  God  as  quoted  by  Paul,  "  Ye  are  the 
temple  of  the  living  God ;  as  God  hath  said, 
I  will  dwell  in  them,  and  walk  in  them: 
and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be 
my  people"  (2  Cor.  6  :  16).  Believing  God, 
we  can  claim  the  fulfilment  of  His  promise, 
and  enjoy  His  manifested  presence  always 
with  us. 

Solomon,  in  his  prayer  at  the  dedication  of 
the  temple,  said,  "  But  will  God  in  very  deed 
dwell  with  men  on  the  earth  ?  behold,  heaven 
and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain 
Thee  ;  how  much  less  this  house  which  I  have 
built !  (2  Chron.  6:18).  That  house  with 
all  it  contained  has  passed  away;  not  one 
stone  has  been  left  upon  another.  The  types, 
which  the  temple,  the  high  priest,  the  altar, 
and  the  sacrifices  represented,  have  all  been 
fulfilled.  In  the  church  on  earth  there  is  no 
more  altar  nor  sacrifice.  The  Great  High 
Priest  *'  after  He  had  offered  one  sacrifice  for 
sins  forever,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of 


GOD    WALKING    WITH    BELIEVERS.  4I 

God.  For  by  one  offering  He  hath  per- 
fected forever  them  that  are  sanctified" 
(Heb.  10  :  lo,  12,  14).  That  which  the 
temple  itself  represented  remains.  Every 
believer  is  the  temple  of  God  ;  their  bodies 
the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  (i  Cor.  3  :  16; 
6  :  19;  2  Cor.  6  :  16);  together  they  are 
built  up  a  spiritual  house  (i  Pet.  2:5); 
Jesus  Christ  Himself  being  the  chief  corner- 
stone :  in  whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed 
together  groweth  unto  an  holy  temple  in  the 
Lord  :  in  whom  ye  also  are  builded  together 
for  an  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit" 
(Eph.  2  :  20).  It  is  well  for  us  to  bear  this 
in  mind,  for  many  are  inclined  to  cling  to 
the  old  temple  and  its  ceremonial  rites,  which 
have  passed  away.  Jesus,  w^hen  He  said, 
"  Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I 
will  raise  it  up,"  "  spake  of  the  temple  of  His 
body"  (John  2:19);  "  For  in  Him  dwelleth 
all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily"  (Col. 
2  :  9).  At  the  consecration  of  the  first  tem- 
ple God  said,  "  Now  mine  eyes  shall  be 
open,  and  mine  ears  attent  unto  the  prayer 
that  is  made  in  this  place.  For  now  have  I 
chosen  and  sanctified  this  house,  that  my 
name  may  be  there  forever :  and  mine  eyes 
and  mine  heart  shall  be  there  perpetually" 
(2  Chron.   7  :  15).      The  believer,   the   true 


42  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

temple  of  God,  can  claim  the  fulfilment  of 
this  promise,  as  it  is  Avritten,  "  For  the  eyes 
of  the  Lord  are  over  the  righteous,  and  His 
ears  are  open  unto  their  prayers"  (i  Pet. 
3:12).  As  every  Christian  is  the  temple  of 
God,  so  every  Christian  is  a  priest.  "Ye 
also,  as  lively  stones  are  built  up  a  spiritual 
house,  an  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spir- 
itual sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ"  (i  Pet.  2  :  5).  It  is  an  assumption, 
contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  for  any  order 
of  men  to  claim  exclusively  that  they  are 
priests.  Peter,  speaking  to  all  Christians, 
says,  "  Ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal 
priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people, 
that  ye  should  show  forth  the  praises  of  Him 
who  hath  called  you  out  of  darkness  into 
His  marvellous  light"  (i  Pet.  2:9;  Rev. 
1:6;  Rom.  12  :  i). 

Even  during  the  old  dispensation  God 
chose  the  hearts  of  believers  for  His  abode, 
rather  than  the  temple.  "  For  thus  saith  the 
Holy  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity,  whose 
name  is  Holy  :  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy 
place,  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and 
humble  spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  hum- 
ble, and  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite" 
(Isa.  57  :  15).  ''Where  is  the  house  that  ye 
build  unto  me  ?  and  where  is  the  place  of  my 


INDWELLING    OF    THE    HOLY    GHOST.  43 

rest  ?  to  this  man  will  I  look,  even  to  him 
that  is  poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit,  and 
trembleth  at  my  word"  (Isa.  66  :  i,  2  ; 
Psalm  34  :  18  ;  51  :  11).  Stephen,  quoting 
this  passage,  says,  "  The  Most  High  dwelleth 
not  in  temples  made  with  hands"  (Acts 
7  :  48),  The  Psalmist  says,  "Thou  hast  as- 
cended on  high,  thou  hast  led  captivity  cap- 
tive :  thou  hast  received  gifts  for  men ;  yea, 
for  the  rebellious  also,  that  the  Lord  God 
might  dwell  among  them"  (Psalm  68  :  18; 
Eph.  4:8;  2:22).  Now  let  us  turn  to  the 
teachings  of  the  New  Testament  on  this  sub- 
ject. It  is  a  very  important  one,  not  only 
for  our  comfort  and  joy ;  but  as  teachers,  the 
presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  us  is  our 
strength. 

INDWELLING  OF   THE   HOLY   GHOST. 

In  the  early  part  of  His  ministry  the  Lord 
Jesus  said  unto  His  disciples,  "  If  ye  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto 
your  children  :  how  much  more  shall  your 
heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them 
that  ask  Him"  (Luke  11  :  13).  When  telling 
of  the  dangers  and  trials  they  were  to  meet 
with  for  His  name's  sake,  He  said,  "  But 
when  they  deliver  you  up,  take  no  thought 
how  or  what  ye  shall  speak  :  for  it  shall  be 


44  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

given  you  in  that  same  hour  what  ye  shall 
speak.  For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the 
Spirit  of  your  Father  which  speaketh  in 
you"  (Matt.  lo  :  19).  When  He  w^as  about 
to  be  taken  from  them,  He  said,  "  I  wall  pray 
the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you  another 
Comforter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you  for- 
ever;  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  whom  the 
w^orld  cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth  Him 
not,  neither  knoweth  Him  :  but  ye  know 
Him,  for  He  dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall  be 
in  you"  (John  14  :  17).  "When  He,  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  He  will  guide  you 
into  all  truth"  (John  16  :  13),  *'for  he  shall 
receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you" 
(John  16  :  14).  After  His  resurrection, 
when  Jesus  met  with  His  disciples,  He  said 
to  them,  "  As  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even 
so  send  I  you.  And  when  He  had  said  this, 
He  breathed  on  them,  and  saith  unto  them, 
Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost"  (John  20  :  21). 
In  addition  to  these  promises  of  the  coming 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  His  indwelling 
and  abiding  w^th  them  forever,  the  Lord 
Jesus  told  His  disciples  to  look  for  a  special 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  giving  them 
powder.  Just  before  He  ascende'd  into 
heaven  He  said  unto  them,  "  Tarry  ye  in  the 
city  of  Jerusalem  until  ye  be  endued  wdth 


INDWELLING    OF    THE    HOLY    GHOST.  45 

power  from  on  high"  (Luke  24  :  49).  "  Ye 
shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not 
many  days  hence,"  "  Ye  shall  receive  power, 
after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon 
you"  (Acts  I  :  5,  8).  Accordingly  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost  *'  they  were  all  filled  Avith  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak  w^ith  other 
tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance" 
(Acts  2  :  4).  The  like  effects  were  produced 
when  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  Cornelius  and 
all  them  which  heard  the  word  spoken  by 
Peter  (Acts  10  :  44,  45) ;  and  also  on  the  dis- 
ciples in  Ephesus  upon  whom  Paul  laid  his 
hands,  "  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on  them ;  and 
they  spake  w^ith  other  tongues,  and  prophe- 
sied" (Acts  19  :  6).  While  special  gifts 
should  be  sought  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who 
divideth  to  every  man  severally  as  He  will 
(i  Cor.  12  :  8, 11)  ;  bear  in  mind  the  continual 
indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  you ;  and 
"  that  good  thing  w^hich  was  committed  unto 
thee  keep  by  the  Holy  Ghost  which  dwelleth 
in  us"  (2  Tim.  i  :  14)  ;  *' if  so  be  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you"  (Rom.  8  :  9). 
"  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our 
Spirit  that  w^e  are  the  children  of  God " 
(Rom.  8  :  16;  Gal.  4  :  6).  Likewise  the 
Spirit  also  helpeth  our  infirmities  :  for  we 
know  not  what  w^e  should  pray  for  as  we 


40  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

ought :  but  the  Spirit  itself  maketh  interces- 
sion for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be 
uttered  (Rom.  8  :  26).  The  appeal  of  Paul 
to  the  Corinthians  is  very  suggestive, "  Know 
ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  and 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you.^  If 
any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall 
God  destroy ;  for  the  temple  of  God  is  holy, 
which  temple  ye  are"  (i  Cor.  3  :  16). 
"  What  ?  Know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  the 
temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you, 
which  ye  have  of  God,  and  ye  are  not  your 
own.?  For  ye  are  bought  with  a  price: 
therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body,  and  in 
your  spirit,  which  are  God's"  (i  Cor.  6  :  19; 
Eph.  2  :  22).  Therefore  "grieve  not  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  ye  are  sealed 
unto  the  day  of  redemption"  (Eph.  i  :  13; 
4  :  30  ;  Heb.  3  :  10).  "  Quench  not  the  Spirit" 
(i  Thess.  5  :  19). 

The  benediction,  "  The  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God,  and  the 
communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you 
all.  Amen"  (2  Cor.  13  :  14),  is  by  too  man}^ 
considered  simply  as  finishing  the  service ; 
and  they  go  away  without  taking  the  bless- 
ing with  them.  We  should  always  carry 
with  us  all  that  which  the  benediction  com- 
prises ;  particularly  the  communion  of  the 


THE   PRESENCE    OF    THE    LORD    JESUS.        47 

Holy  Ghost,  who  is  always  dwelling  and 
abiding  in  us,  wherever  we  are ;  helping  us 
in  our  studies,  taking  the  things  which  are 
Christ's,  and  showing  them  unto  us  (John 
16  :  13,  14)  ;  helping  us  in  our  prayers,  and 
speaking  through  us.  As  of  old,  "  Holy  men 
of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost "  (2  Pet.  1:21),  so  should  all 
who  speak  or  teach  in  His  name,  seek  to  be 
moved  by  Him  now. 

THE  PRESENCE  OF  THE  LORD  JESUS. 

We  should  not  only  bear  in  mind  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  us,  but  also  the 
'  presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  manifested 
to  us  according  to  His  promise  (John  14:  21). 
Not  merely  as  God,  who  is  everywhere 
present ;  not  as  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  al- 
ways dwelling  in  us  (John  14  :  16, 17)  ;  but  as 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through  whom  alone 
we  have  access  to  the  Father,  and  with  whom 
we  have  communion  with  the  Father  (John 
14  :  6,  23  ;  I  John  i  :  3).  Jesus  says,  "  He  that 
loveth  me  shall  be  loved  of  my  Father,  and  I 
will  love  him,  and  will  manifest  myself  to 
him"  (John  14:21).  He  speaks  of  Himself 
as,  Jehovah,  I  am ;  who  was  before  Abraham 
was  (John  8 :  58).  His  name  is  Emmanuel, 
which   being   interpreted   is,    God   with   us 


48  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

(Matt.  I  :  23).  He  speaks  of  Himself  not 
only  as  the  omnipresent  and  eternal  God, 
but  as  Jehovah  Jesus,  when  He  says,  "  Where 
two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them" 
(Matt.  18  :  20).  Therefore,  at  your  meetings, 
have  little  regard  to  the  presence  of  any  par- 
ticular person,  or  to  the  number  of  those 
present,  whether  large  or  small ;  but,  if  one 
or  two  Christians  are  with  you,  look  for,  ex- 
pect, and  realize  the  presence  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Indeed,  you  w^ould  probably  have  a 
closer  intercourse  with  Him  w^hen  there  are 
only  two  or  three  present,  than  when  there 
are  a  thousand.  When  our  Lord  was  about 
to  ascend  into  heaven,  He  gave  a  charge  to 
His  disciples  very  similar  to  that  given  by  the 
Lord  to  Moses,  when  He  sent  him  to  deliver 
the  Israelites.  Using  almost  the  same  lan- 
guage. He  said  unto  Moses,  *'  Come  now, 
therefore,  and  I  w^ill  send  thee  unto  Pharaoh, 
that  thou  mayest  bring  forth  my  people,  the 
children  of  Israel,  out  of  Egypt.  And  Moses 
said  unto  God,  Who  am  I,  that  I  should  go 
unto  Pharaoh,  and  that  I  should  bring  forth 
the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt  .-*  And 
he  said.  Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee.  And 
Moses  said  unto  God,  Behold,  when  I  come 
unto  the  children    of    Israel,  and  shall   say 


THE    PRESENCE    OF    THE    LORD    JESUS. 


49 


unto  them.  The  God  of  your  fathers  hath 
sent  me  unto  you  ;  and  they  shall  say  to  me, 
What  is  his  name?  what  shall  I  say  unto 
them  ?    And  God  said  unto  Moses,  I  am  that 

1  AM.  And  He  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  I  am  hath  sent 
me  unto  you"  (Exod.  3:10-14).  In  like 
manner,  and  using  almost  the  same  words, 
and  with  the  same  promise  to  be  with  them 
the  Lord  Jesus  sends  His  messengers  to  deliv- 
er His  people  from  the  slavery  and  power  of 
the  Prince  of  this  world  (John  12:31;  Eph. 

2  :  2  ;  6  :  12).  *'  And  Jesus  came  and  spake 
unto  them,  saying,  All  power  is  given  unto 
me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye  therefore 
and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost :  teaching  them  to  observe 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you :  and,  lo, 
I  am  with  you  alway,  unto  the  end  of  the 
world"  (Matt.  28:18).  So  then,  after  the 
Lord  had  spoken  unto  them,  He  was  received 
up  into  heaven,  and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of 
God.  And  they  went  forth  and  preached 
everywhere,  the  Lord  working  with  them, 
and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  follow- 
ing (Mark  16:19,  20;  Acts  2:47;  11:21). 
The  Lord  Jesus  appeared  visibly  to  Stephen 
(Acts  7:55);  and  also  to  Paul,  and  talked 

3 


5©  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

with  him  (Acts  9:5;!  Cor.  9:1);  and  after- 
ward He  repeatedly  manifested  His  personal 
presence  to  him  (Acts  18:9,  10;  23:11;  2 
Tim.  4  :  17).  Paul  felt  Christ's  presence 
with  him  so  much,  that  he  could  say,  "  I  am 
crucified  with  Christ :  nevertheless  I  live ; 
yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me  :  and  the 
life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by 
the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me, 
and  gave  Himself  for  me"  (Gal.  2  :  20). 

There  is  a  connection  and  fellowship  be- 
tween Christ  and  believers  in  all  that  He  has 
done  for  them,  even  so  far  as  to  His  chang- 
ing places  with  us.  "  For  He  hath  made  Him 
to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin ;  that  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
him"  (2  Cor.  5:21;  i  Pet.  2  :  24).  So  that 
each  one  of  us  may  say,  I  am  crucified  with 
Christ  (Gal.  2 :  20) ;  am  dead  Avith  Christ 
(Rom.  6:8;  Col.  3:3);  buried  with  Christ 
(Col.  2:12;  Rom.  6:4);  risen  Avith  Christ 
(Col.  2:12;  3:1);  joint  heirs  with  Christ 
(Rom.  8:17);  glorified  with  Christ  (John 
17:22;  Rom.  8:17,  30);  Christ  is  our  life 
(Col.  3 :  4).  Let  us,  therefore,  realize  this 
communion  with  Christ  in  all  that  Pie  has 
done  for  us  and  is  now  doing;  and  also  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus  personally  with 
us;    and,  more  than  all  this,  let   us   realize 


THE    PRESENCE    OF    THE    LORD    JESUS.        5 1 

that  we  have  an  actual  living  union  with 
Christ,  "for  we  are  members  of  His  body,  of 
His  flesh,  and  of  His  bones"  (Eph.  5  :  30).  He 
says,  "  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches ; 
without  me  ye  can  do  nothing"  (John  15  :  5). 
He  prayed,  "  As  thou.  Father,  art  in  me,  and 

I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us" 
(John  17  :  21,  23).  Therefore,  when  speaking 
for  Christ,  remember  your  living  union  with 
Him,  and  trust  in  His  word,  "  I  am  with  you," 
and  teach  and  speak  and  pray,  as  in  His  pres- 
ence, relying  upon  Him  to  work  with  you, 
and  to  confirm  the  word  with  signs  following 
(Mark  16  :  20). 

Let  us  not  forget  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  on  the  throne  in  the  kins^dom  of 
God  in  this  world,  as  well  as  in  heaven.  He 
says,  "  All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven 
and  in  earth"  (Matt.  28:18);  "All  things 
are  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father"  (Matt. 

II  :  27).  "The  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and 
hath  given  all  things  into  His  hand  "  (John 
3  •  35  ;  13  •  3)-  And  "  has  given  Him  power 
over  all  flesh  "  (John  17:2);  "  and  hath  put 
all  things  under  His  feet,  and  gave  Him  to  be 
the  head  over  all  things  to  the  church " 
(Eph.  I  :  22).  Let  us  always  bear  in  mind 
that  He  is  our  loving,  sympathizing  Saviour; 
and  "in  that  He  Himself  hath  suffered  being 


52  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

tempted,  He  is  able  to  succor  them  that  are 
tempted"  (Heb.  2:18).  We  speak  of  His 
example  as  to  be  followed  ;  we  acknowledge 
Him  as  the  prophet,  and  also,  as  our  High 
Priest,  who  has  gone  within  the  veil  for  us  : 
let  us  also  acknowledge  Him  as  our  King, 
always  present  with  us ;  "for  He  hath  said, 
I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee ;  so 
that  we  may  boldly  say,  The  Lord  is  my 
helper,  and  I  wall  not  fear  what  man  shall 
do  unto  me"  (Heb.  13  :  5).  In  your  hearts 
acknowledge,  "  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yester- 
day, and  to-day,  and  forever  "  (Heb.  13  :  8). 
*'  As  ye  have  therefore  received  Christ  Jesus 
the  Lord,  so  w^alk  ye  in  Him"  (Col.  2  :  6). 
As  in  the  beginning  of  our  Christian  course, 
we  came  to  the  Father  through  Him,  even 
so,  through  all  our  course,  we  are  to  remem- 
ber His  words,  "  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth, 
and  the  life  :  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father 
but  by  me  "  (John  14  :  6) ;  that  as  our  sins 
were  forgiven  by  Him,  when  we  first  believed 
in  Him,  so  w^e  are  to  continue  to  regard 
Him  as  "  exalted  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour  for 
to  give  repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness 
of  sins"  (Acts  5:  31);  if  w^e  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden,  w^e  are,  as  at  the  beginning,  to 
go  to  Jesus ;  for  He  says,  "  I  will  give  you 
rest"  (Matt.   11:28);  if  our  faith  needs  to 


THE    PRESENCE    OF  THE    LORD    JESUS.       53 

be  strengthened,  we  are  to  say  to  Him, 
"Lord,  increase  our  faith"  (Luke  17:5); 
and  through  all  our  course,  looking  away 
from  self  and  from  every  thing  else,  we  are 
to  keep  "  looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and 
finisher  of  our  faith"  (Heb.  12:2).  We  are 
never  to  lose  sight  of  Him  as  personally 
present,  especially  when  we  meet,  or  speak, 
in  His  name  (John  14:23;  Matt.  18:20; 
28  :  20).  We  must  always  remember  that  it 
is  in  Him  and  through  Him  alone  that  we 
see  the  Father,  and  have  access  to  the  Father 
(John  14  :  6,  7).  Feed  upon  Him  and  upon 
His  words,  day  by  day,  as  the  living  bread, 
the  bread  of  life  (John  6  :  35,  48,  6^).  Live 
by  faith,  as  having  a  personal  union  with 
Him,  who  says,  "  Because  I  live,  ye  shall  live 
also"  (John  14  :  19;  6  :  56,  57;  11  :  25,  26; 
17  :  21,  23  ;  I  John  i  :  3).  Say  unto  Him,  as 
David  did,  "  Into  Thine  hand  I  commit  my 
spirit ;  Thou  hast  redeemed  me,  O  Lord  God 
of  truth  "  (Psm.  31:5);  do  this  now.  Then, 
when  you  are  about  to  depart,  you  will  see 
Him,  as  Stephen  did,  and  "  calling  upon,  and 
saying.  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit  "  (Acts 
7  '  59)>  you  will  fall  asleep.  Living  thus,  you 
will  have  peace  and  joy  all  your  days,  and 
have  power  with  God  and  with  men  (Gen. 
32  :  28;  John  14  :  13). 


54 


A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 


MEETINGS. 


Let  all  your  meetings  be  attractive,  whether 
in  the  family,  the  Sunday-school,  the  church, 
or  your  prayer-meeting.  The  religious 
gatherings  of  the  Israelites  w'ere  the  occa- 
sions of  great  joy  (i  Kings  i  :  40  ;  i  Chron. 
29:9;  2  Chron.  30  :  26  ;  Ezra  6:22;  Dent. 
12  :  7,  12  ;  16:14).  So  were  the  first  gather- 
ings of  the  early  Christians ;  "  Then  were 
the  disciples  glad  w4ien  they  saw  the  Lord  " 
(Luke  24  :  41,  52  ;  John  16  :  22  ;  20  :  20;  Acts 
2  :  26).  The  Psalmist  says,  "  My  lips  shall 
greatly  rejoice  when  I  sing  unto  Thee ;  and 
my  soul  w^hich  Thou  hast  redeemed  "  (Psm. 
71:23).  '' Let  all  those  that  put  their  trust 
in  Thee  rejoice  ;  let  them  ever  shout  for  joy, 
because  Thou  defendest  them  :  let  them  also 
that  love  Thy  name  be  joyful  in  Thee"  (Psm. 
5:11).  "  Serv^e  the  Lord  with  gladness  :  come 
before  His  presence  with  singing"  (Psm. 
100  :  2).  In  the  Bible  the  word  praise  occurs 
oftener  than  prayer.  They  go  together. 
"Rejoice  evermore.  Pray  without  ceasing. 
In  ever}^thing  give  thanks"  (i  Thess.  5  :  16). 
Too  many  prayer-meetings  are  cold,  formal, 
gloomy,  cheerless;  more  like  solemn  gather- 
ings to  attend  a  funeral,  than,  as  they 
should  be,  a  joyful  family  gathering  of 
loving  children,  with  a  loving  Father  and 


MEETINGS.  55 

Saviour.  They  should  be  so  attractive  that 
even  children  would  like  to  attend  them. 
They  should  be  looked  forward  to  with 
pleasure.  To  these  meetings  all  should 
come  expecting  to  meet  the  Lord  Jesus  with 
gladness;  with  hearts  prepared  to  join  in  the 
thanksgivings,  praises,  and  prayers;  and,  if 
moved  by  the  Spirit,  to  take  an  active  part. 
As  in  the  family,  we  like,  at  times,  to  hear 
the  voices  of  the  little  ones,  so  at  our  meet- 
ings, the  stumbling  words  of  a  babe  in 
Christ,  or  the  words  of  an  uneducated 
brother,  if  spoken  from  the  heart,  will  do 
good.  "  How  is  it  then,  brethren  ?  When  ye 
come  together,  every  one  of  you  hath  a 
psalm,  hath  a  doctrine,  hath  a  tongue,  hath 
a  revelation,  hath  an  interpretation.  Let  all 
things  be  done  unto  edifying."  "If  any- 
thing be  revealed  to  another  that  sitteth  by, 
let  the  first  hold  his  peace ;  for  ye  may  all 
prophesy  one  by  one,  that  all  may  learn,  and 
all  may  be  comforted  "  (i  Cor.  14  :  26,  30,  31). 
"  Let  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly 
in  all  wisdom;  teaching  and  admonishing 
one  another  in  psalms  and  hymns,  and 
spiritual  songs,  singmg  with  grace  in  your 
hearts  to  the  Lord  "  (Col.  3  :  16). 

As  in  social  family  gatherings,  long 
speeches,  long  prayers,  affected  manner,  or 
preaching  like  a  minister,  would  be  neither 


£6  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

expected  nor  tolerated;  neither  should  they 
be,  when  God's  children  meet  together  to 
hold  converse  with  Him  and  with  one 
another. 

AVhen  you  have  nothing  to  say,  say  no- 
thing. "Be  more  ready  to  hear  than  to  give 
the  sacrifice  of  fools"  (Eccl.  5  :  i).  Do  not 
make  a  righteousness,  or  get  in  the  habit,  of 
confessing  the  same  sins  week  after  week. 
Believe  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  Do  not 
be  tempted  to  preach  to  men  in  your  prayers 
to  God ;  or  to  use  them  to  flatter  the  minis- 
ter or  any  other  person  present.  Be  special 
in  your  prayers,  rather  than  general.^  Do 
not  think  that  you  are  called  upon  to  bring 
in  every  thing  in  every  prayer.  Have  some 
special  object  on  your  heart  Avhen  you  pray 
to  Jesus. 

Be  prepared,  be  in  earnest,  be  prompt, 
be  ready,  be  short ;  short  readings,  short 
speeches,  short  prayers,  short  hymns,  short 
service.     Allow  not  a  moment  to  drag. 

Avoid  formality ;  sit  together;  and  let  the 
meeting  be  social.  It  has  been  remarked, 
that  sometimes  the  true  prayer-meeting  be- 
gins, w^hen  the  brethren  gather  for  social 
talk  after  the  formal  prayer-meeting  is  over. 

Do  not  scold  the  absent.  You  cannot 
draw^  men  by  scolding,  nor  even  by  urging 


THE    MESSAGE.  57 

them  to  attend  cheerless  meetings.  Make 
the  meeting  attractive,  and  they  will  need  no 
urging.  John  Wesley  could  draw  thousands 
of  people  at  live  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
And  lately,  when  people  thought  half-past 
ten  too  early  to  go  to  church,  Mr.  Moody 
drew  the  most  wealthy  and  fashionable,  as 
well  as  the  poor,  to  his  services,  when  they 
had  to  be  there  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing to  get  in. 

Have  little  regard  to  the  presence  of  any 
individuals,  or  to  having  large  numbers 
present.  The  great  object  is  to  secure  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  by  meeting  in 
His  name,  and  relying  upon  His  promise  to 
be  with  you.  See  Him  and  be  glad.  After- 
ward, when  you  meet  the  absent,  and  can 
say  to  them,  "  We  have  seen  the  Lord," 
though,  like  Thomas,  they  may  have  doubts, 
they  will  be  sure  to  attend  the  next  meeting 
as  he  did  (John  20  :  25). 

THE  MESSAGE. 

Being  thus  called  of  God,  having  the  Holy 
Ghost  abiding  in  you,  having  a  living  union 
with  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  having  His  pres- 
ence manifestly  with  you,  consider  the  mes- 
sage you  are  called  to  deliver.     You  cannot 

3* 


58         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

be  too  particular  in  regard  to  it.  The  Lord 
says,  "  Ye  shall  not  add  unto  the  Word  that 
I  command  you,  neither  shall  ye  diminish 
ought  from  it"  (Deut.  4:2;  Mark  7:1-13; 
Rev.  22  :  18,  19).  One  of  the  temptations  of 
the  present  day  is  to  try  to  draw  men  to  hear 
a  message  from  God  by  worldly  methods. 
Depending  upon  an  attractive  edifice,  or  on 
music,  or  advertised  sensational  subjects,  or 
a  popular  man,  or  on  ceremonial  rites ;  thus 
degrading  God  and  His  message.  The  mes- 
sage of  God  needs  no  such  helps ;  the  more 
you  honor  it  and  the  more  simply  it  is  pro- 
claimed, the  more  men  will  feel  its  power. 
When  Ezekiel  was  sent  to  deliver  the  Lord's 
message,  the  Lord's  commission  to  him  was, 
"  I  send  thee  to  the  children  of  Israel,  to  a 
rebellious  nation  that  hath  rebelled  against 
me  :  they  and  their  fathers  have  transgressed 
against  me  unto  this  very  day.  I  do  send 
thee  unto  them ;  and  thou  shalt  say  unto 
them,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God.  And  thou, 
son  of  man,  be  not  afraid  of  them.  Thou 
shalt  speak  my  words  unto  them,  wdiether 
they  will  hear  or  whether  they  w411  forbear" 
(Ezek.  2  :  3-7).  "  But  the  house  of  Israel 
will  not  hearken  unto  thee ;  for  they  will  not 
hearken  unto  me"  (Ezek.  3:7).  Ezekiel  did 
not  confer  with  the  world,  the  flesh,  or  the 


THE    MESSAGE.  59 

devil,  as  is  too  much  the  case  now,  to  make 
the  message  palatable  or  to  induce  them  to 
hear  it.  He  delivered  the  message  of  God 
as  he  received  it.  Paul  did  the  same,  saying, 
"  Do  I  seek  to  please  men  ?  for  if  I  yet 
pleased  men,  I  should  not  be  the  servant  of 
Christ"  (Gal.  i  :  lo).  "As  we  were  allowed 
of  God,  to  be  put  in  trust  with  the  Gospel, 
even  so  we  speak ;  not  as  pleasing  men,  but 
God,  which  trieth  our  hearts"  (i  Thess.  2  :  4). 
The  alternative  of  delivering  God's  message 
exactly  as  He  gives  it,  is  a  very  solemn  one. 
"  Therefore  thou  shalt  hear  the  word  at  my 
mouth,  and  warn  them  from  me.  When  I 
say  unto  the  wicked,  O  wicked  man,  thou 
shalt  surely  die;  if  thou  dost  not  speak  to 
v/arn  the  wicked  from  his  way,  that  wicked 
man  shall  die  in  his  iniquity ;  but  his  blood 
will  I  require  at  thine  hand.  Nevertheless, 
if  thou  warn  the  wicked  of  his  way  to  turn 
him  from  it;  if  he  do  not  turn  from  his 
way,  he  shall  die  in  his  iniquity;  but  thou 
hast  delivered  thy  soul"  (Ezek.  33  :  7 ;  Acts 
20  :  26,  27). 

The  message  you  are  to  deliver  is  the  same 
as  it  has  been  from  the  beginning.  It  has  al- 
ways been,  "  Repent  and  believe."  "  Behold  I 
bring  you  glad  tidings  of  great  joy."  Imme- 
diately after  the  Fall,  God  called  after  Adam, 


6o  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

who  was  attempting  to  hide  himself  (Gen. 
3  :  lo),  and  revealed  to  him  the  way  of  salva- 
tion through  a  coming  Saviour  (Gen.  3  :  15). 
By  faith  in  the  Lamb  of  God,  Abel  offered 
his  sacrifice  and  was  accepted  (Heb.  11  14). 
Noah  warned  men  of  the  coming  flood  while 
the  ark  was  preparing  (i  Pet.  3  :  20).  Abra- 
ham was  called  to  leave  his  idolatrous  coun- 
try' (Heb.  11:8;  Acts  7  :  2,  4;  Josh.  24  :  2). 
Lot  Avas  warned  to  leave  Sodom  and  escape 
for  his  life  (Gen.  19:17).  The  Israelites 
were  delivered  from  Egypt  to  serve  God,  and 
be  a  people  separate  from  the  world  (Levit. 
20  :  26 ;  Ex.  20  :  2  ;  i  Cor.  6  :  20).  The  mes- 
sage of  all  the  messengers  and  of  all  the 
prophets  was,  "  Say  unto  them,  As  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  the  wicked ;  but  that  the  wicked  turn 
from  his  way  and  live ;  turn  ye,  turn  ye  from 
your  evil  ways;  for  why  will  ye  die.?"  (Ezek. 
33:11;  18:32;  Isai.  55:6,  7;  Jer.  3:22; 
Dan.  9 :  13).  John  the  Baptist  preached, 
"  saying,  Repent  ye ;  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand."  He  spoke  of  "the 
wrath  to  come,"  and  the  "  unquenchable  fire" 
(Matt.  3  :  2,  7,  12).  He  directed  his  followers 
to  Jesus,  saying,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
w^hich  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world" 
(John  I  :  29).     Jesus  delivered  the  same  m^es- 


THE    MESSAGE.  6l 

sage,  and  spoke  frequently  of  the  coming 
judgment ;  of  everlasting  punishment  (Matt. 
25  :  46) ;  of  the  danger  of  being  cast  into  hell 
(Matt.  5  :  22,  29,  30;  10  :  28),  describing  it  as 
a  place  of  torment,  from  which  there  is  no 
escape  (Luke  16  :  23,  26),  as  "  outer  darkness; 
there  shall  be  Aveeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth"  (Matt.  8:  12;  22:13;  24:51;  25:30). 
"  Where  the  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched"  (Mark  9  :  43,  44,  45,  46,  48). 
Knowing  the  fearful  horrors  of  hell.  He  gave 
Himself,  that  "  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life"  (John 
3:15).  It  is  to  be  feared  that  warning  men  to 
escape  from  the  wrath  to  come  is  too  much 
neglected.  A  person  lately  remarked  that  he 
had  regularly  attended  evangelical  churches 
and  had  not  heard  there  was  such  a  place  as 
hell  during  the  last  twelve  years.  The 
preaching  of  the  apostles  was,  repent  and 
believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  Paul 
says,  "As  though  God  did  beseech  you  by 
us:  we  pray  you,  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye 
reconciled  to  God.  For  He  hath  made  Him 
to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
Him"  (2  Cor.  5  :  20).  No  man  feels  his  need 
of  a  Saviour  until  he  feels  that  he  is  lost. 
Let  us  try,  then,  to  bring  men  to  realize  their 


(>2  A    V.'ORD    TO     CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

lost  condition  and  their  danger,  and  then  lead 
them  to  Christ ;  those  wlio  pride  themselves 
on  their  morality  (Matt.  19:20;  Luke 
18 :  11);  as  well  as  those  ^vho  glory  in  their 
shame.  Let  us  bear  in  mind  that  "  all  have 
sinned,"  that  "there  is  no  difference"  (Rom. 
3  :  22,  23),  that  every  one  is  "condemned  al- 
ready," and  "the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on 
him"  (John  3  :  18,  36).  Let  us  remember 
that  "  we  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins," 
and  "  were  by  nature  children  of  wrath,  even 
as  others,"  that  "  by  grace  we  are  saved 
through  faith"  (Eph.  2  :  i,  2,  8),  and  then,  as 
saved  sinners,  let  us  seek  to  save  others  by 
carrying  the  same  message  that  was  delivered 
by  the  prophets,  John  the  Baptist,  Christ,  and 
His  apostles.  Let  us  beseech  men  to  escape 
the  wrath  to  come,  to  repent,  to  turn  to  a 
loving  God,  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  to  receive,  through  faith,  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  and  a  free,  full,  complete  present 
and  eternal  salvation;  to  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  become  children  of  God  and  joint 
heirs  with  Christ,  have  fellowship  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  and  have  joy  and  peace 
now  and  forever. 

Ever  since  the  ten  spies,  sent  with  Caleb 
and  Joshua,  brought  their  evil  report  to  the 
Israelites  concerning  the  promised  land,  the 


THE    MESSAGE.  6^ 

great   majority    of    those   professing   to   be 
teachers  sent  from  God  have  brought  false 
reports  about  the  way  of  salvation.     The  ten 
spies  spake  of  the  promised  land  as  having 
every  thing  desirable,  but  said,  the  cities  arc 
walled,    and   there   are    giants   in    the   way 
(Numb.   13  :  27,  ;^;^).     They  preached  doubts 
and    fears,    and   the   people   believed    them 
rather  than  God,  and  perished  through  un- 
belief (Numb.  14  :  30,  32  ;  Heb.  3  :  19).    Many 
Christians  now  wander  for  years  through  a 
wilderness  of  trouble,  because  of  their  un- 
belief; who,  if  they  believed  God's  word  as 
it  is  plainly  written,  might  at  once  enter  into 
the  rest  and  peace  which  come  even  in  this 
world    through    faith     (Rom.    5:1;     Matt. 
11:29;    Isai.  26:3).     "For  we  which   have 
believed  do  enter  into  rest"  (Heb.  4  :  i,  3). 
The  teachings  of   the  ten  spies  and  of  the 
scribes  and    pharisees  have  been  continued 
ever  since,  and  are  the  teachings  of  the  larg- 
est portion  of  the  so-called  Christian  Church 
throughout   the  world  at   the   present   day. 
They  neither   go    in    themselves   nor  suffer 
them    that    are   entering    to    go    in    (Matt. 
23  :  13).     See,  then,  that  you  bring  the  mes- 
sage of  Caleb  and  Joshua :  "  Let  us  go  up 
at  once  and  possess  it,  for  we  are  well  able 
to  overcome  it;"  "the  Lord  is  with  us;  fear 


64  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

them  not"  (Numb.  13:30;  14:9).  Do  not 
carry  a  doubting  message.  Allow  no  ^'  per- 
haps" to  come  into  your  teachings  Avhen  you 
invite  sinners  to  Christ.  Great  wrong  is 
done  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  injurious  teach- 
ing is  given  to  the  sinner,  in  the  use  of  such 
hymns  as, 

"  Come,  humble  sinner,  in  whose  breast ;" 
"And  make  this  last  resolve — I'll  go  to  Jesus  ;" 
"  Perhaps  He  will  admit  my  plea; 
Perhaps  will  hear  my  prayer ; 
But  if  I  perish,  I  will  pray. 
And  perish  only  there. 
I  can  but  perish  if  I  go,"  etc 

Away  with  such  teachings!  Queen  Esther 
had  good  reason  to  use  such  language  when 
about  to  go  into  the  presence  of  the  heathen 
King  Ahasuerus  (Esth.  4:  11,  16).  There  is 
no  reason  ^vhy  sinners  should  be  encouraged 
to  use  any  such  language  in  regard  to  the 
Lord  Jesus;  but  you  are  to  invite  them,  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  go  to  Him 
freely,  with  the  certainty  of  being  received. 
Use  His  words,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest"  (Matt.  11  :  28).  "  Him  that  cometh 
to  me  I  will  in  no  w^ise  cast  out"  (John 
6  '  37)-  *'  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the 
water  of  life  freely"  (Rev.  22  :  17).     As  His 


THE    MESSAGE.  65 

ambassador,  therefore,  instead  of  teaching  a 
perhaps  reception,  you  are,  in  Christ's  stead, 
to  beseech  all,  both  saints  and  sinners,  to  be 
reconciled  to  God  (2  Cor.  5  :  20).  However 
low,  however  vile,  however  degraded  they 
may  be,  they  will  be  welcomed.  He  came 
to  save  the  lost. 

"  Not  the  righteous — sinners  Jesus  came  to  call." 

"All  the  fitness  He  requireth  is  to  feel  your  need  of 
Him." 

Tell  them  He  is  not  only  willing,  but 
able  to  save  to  the  uttermost,  evermore, 
all  who  come  unto  God  by  Him  (Heb. 
7  :  25).  Offer  in  His  name,  to  those  who 
repent  of  their  sins  and  turn  to  God 
with  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  a 
free,  full,  complete,  and  immediate  forgive- 
ness of  sins  (Acts  2  :  :>^%^^  and  everlasting  life 
(John  Z''Z^\  I  John  5  :  13);  a  present  and 
an  eternal  salvation  (John  5  :  24).  There  is 
no  occasion  for  any,  after  they  know  the  way 
to  be  saved,  and  have,  with  repentance  for 
their  sins,  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
to  take  days  and  months  to  find  that  peace 
and  joy  which  come  at  once  when  there  is 
full  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  (Rom.  5:1). 
The  Ethiopian  eunuch  believed,  was  at  once 
baptized,   and   went    on   his   way   rejoicing 


66  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

(Acts  8  :  37,  39) ;  the  jailer  at  Philippi,  who 
Vvas  ready  to  commit  suicide,  supposing  that 
the  prisoners  had  fled,  asked  Paul  and  Silas, 
"  Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  The 
answer  was,  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  The  same  hour  of  the  night  he  was 
baptized,  he  and  all  his,  straightway,  and  re- 
joiced, believing  in  God  with  all  his  house 
(Acts  16  :  30,  34).  The  gospel  is  good  tid- 
ings of  great  joy  (Luke  2  :  10).  The  fruit 
of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  and  peace  (Gal. 
5:22).  The  message  to  believers  is,  "  Re- 
joice in  the  Lord  alway;  and  again  I  say, 
Rejoice"  (Phil.  4  :  4). 

Be  careful  in  holding  up  an  error,  or  an 
infidel  suggestion,  for  the  purpose  of  com- 
bating it.  You  may  thereby  plant  an  error, 
which  may  take  root,  while  your  words  may 
be  lost  sight  of  and  forgotten.  Hold  up 
Christ  instead. 

Do  not  openly  attack  the  religion  of 
others.  Striking  the  darkness  does  not  dis- 
sipate it ;  the  only  way  to  do  that  is  to  pour 
in  light.  The  only  way  to  overcome  error  is 
to  hold  up  the  truth.  Attacks  provoke  op- 
position. 

The  scribes  and  pharisees  of  the  present 
day,  who,  calling  themselves  "  The  Church," 
are  putting  their  unjustifiable  assumptions, 


THE   MESSAGE.  67 

their  traditions,  the  teachings  of  their 
Church,  or  rather  sect,  their  rites,  cere- 
monies, and  outward  performances  in  the 
place  of  the  word  of  God,  Christ  speaks 
to  in  the  sorrowful  words,  "  Woe  unto 
you"  (Matt.  23  :  13,  23  ;  Luke  11  :  42).  Their 
blind  followers  can  be  reached  only  by 
presenting  the  word  of  God  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Let  them  learn  through  that 
word,  that  even  sincere  religious  observances 
when  contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  are  of  no 
avail.  "  In  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teach- 
ing for  doctrines  the  commandments  of 
men,"  "  making  the  word  of  God  of  none 
effect  through  your  tradition"  (Mark  7  :  7, 
13)  Hold  up  Christ  as  the  way,  and  the 
truth,  and  the  life ;  and  without  referring  to 
the  false  teachings,  your  hearers  will  be  con- 
vinced of  their  errors  and  will  follow  Him. 

Paul  tells  Timothy,  "  Study  to  show  thy- 
self approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that 
needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing 
the  word  of  truth ;"  "  avoiding  profane  and 
vain  babblings,  and  oppositions  of  science 
falsely  so  called"  (i  Tim.  6  :  20 ;  2  Tim.  2  : 
15,  16).  The  most  plausible  opposers  of  the 
truth  at  the  present  time  are  a  few  men 
among  the  class  called  scientists;  men 
whose  assertions,  on  account  of  their  learn- 


6S         A    WORD    TO   CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

ing  in  certain  branches  of  science,  attract  at- 
tention. The  man  who  is  honestly  and 
laboriously  seeking  for  knowledge,  but  is 
working  in  a  Avrong  direction,  is  an  object 
of  pity ;  and  much  more  so  when,  finding 
himself  shut  in  by  red  sandstone,  or  lost  in 
the  mists  of  the  nebulae,  he  begins  to  guess 
and  calls  his  guesses  science.  They  speak  of 
evolution  from  the  cells  of  a  molecule,  as 
from  an  Ggg ;  as  if  the  egg  produces  the  hen 
without  a  hen  to  produce  the  egg.  They  see 
a  law  controlling  matter,  but  ignore  the  fact, 
that  w^here  there  is  a  law,  there  must  be  a 
lawmaker.  Poor  orphans !  without  a  father, 
they  try  in  vain  to  resign  themselves  to  a 
dark  future,  horrible,  because  uncertain  and 
without  hope.  The  utterances  of  some  of 
them  in  regard  to  the  present  and  the  future 
sound  like  the  despairing  wail  of  the  lost. 
The  mistake  of  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent scientists  at  the  present  time  is,  that 
they  are  giving  their  whole  attention  to 
the  very  low^est  field  of  science — that  is, 
matter.  They  should  consider  that  there  is 
a  higher  universe  than  that  of  matter. 
There  is  a  universe  of  mind,  which  has  its 
laws  and  its  powders  of  evolution  and  repro- 
duction, and  w^hich  controls  nature  or  mat- 
ter, and  can  control  and  make  use  of  gravi- 


THE    MESSAGE.  O9 

tation,  magnetism,  electricity,  and  all  the 
other  powers  of  matter.  And  then,  again, 
there  is  another  universe  higher  than  those 
of  matter  and  mind,  and  that  is,  the  universe 
of  morals,  which  has  its  laws  and  its 
powers  of  reproduction ;  hatred  begetting 
hatred,  and  love  begetting  love.  This  is  the 
highest  study ;  for  it  is  this  that  controls  the 
mind  that  controls  the  matter.  In  this  we 
can  study  man,  and,  with  the  help  of  His 
word,  learn  about  God,  the  creator  of  the 
heavens  and  the  earth.  The  material  part  of 
man,  his  body,  is  not  the  man.  He  may  lose 
many  of  the  members  of  his  body  and  yet  be 
more  of  a  man  than  he  was  before.  No  man 
is  a  true  man  unless  he  controls  his  body. 
The  intellect  or  understanding  is  not  the  man. 
A  man  is  bound  to  control  and  educate  his 
understanding.  That  which  is  really  the 
man  is  above  the  body  and  the  intellect,  and 
controls  them  both.  The  will  or  the  heart  is 
the  real  man.  That  wonderful  expression 
in  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  "  When 
he  came  to  himself"  (Luke  15  :  17),  exempli- 
fies this.  It  is  not  the  mind  or  intellect  that 
keeps  men  from  acknowledging  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  but  the  will ;  as  He  says,  "  Ye 
will  not  come  to  me  that  ye  might  have 
life"  (John  5  :  40  ;  3  :  19).     "  Whosoever  will, 


70  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely"  (Rev. 
22:17).  Therefore  God  sends  His  mes- 
sage to  the  heart  of  man  rather  than  to 
His  mind,  although  His  word  commends 
itself  to  the  most  exalted  intellect.  He 
says,  "  Apply  thine  heart  to  understanding" 
(Prov.  2:2);  "  My  son,  give  me  thine  heart" 
(Prov.  23:26);  "The  fool  hath  said  in  his 
heart,  There  is  no  God"  (Psm.  14:1);  and 
Christ  says,  "  Out  of  the  heart  of  men  pro- 
ceed evil  thoughts,  adulteries,  murders,"  etc., 
etc.  (Mark  7:21);  and  again,  ''Let  not 
your  heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be 
afraid"  (John  14  :  i,  27).  Therefore  we  are 
required  not  only  to  confess  with  the  mouth 
the  Lord  Jesus,  but  to  believe  in  our  hearts 
(Rom.  10  :  9,  10).  A  wicked  heart  has  shown 
many  a  man  with  brains  to  be  a  fool.  That 
infidels  have  always  been  pitiable  objects, 
even  among  the  heathen,  we  may  judge  from 
Homer  making  Hector  say, 

"The  weakest  atheist  wretch  all  heaven  defies, 
But  shrinks  and  shudders  when  the  thunder  flies." 

Zophar  asks,  "  Canst  thou  by  searching  find 
out  God.^  canst  thou  find  out  the  Almighty 
unto  perfection  }  It  is  high  as  heaven  ;  what 
canst  thou  do.^  deeper  than  hell ;  what  canst 
thou  know  V  (Job  11:7).     They  who  cannot 


THE    MESSAGE.  7  I 

do  this,  and  therefore  deny  the  existence  of 
God,  reject  prayer,  and  are  trying  to  per- 
suade themselves  and  others  that  they  are 
descended  from  brutes,  or  are  the  products 
of  evolution,  may  well  lay  to  heart  the 
words  of  the  Psalmist,  addressed  to  such, 
three  thousand  years  ago  :  "  Understand,  ye 
brutish  among  the  people ;  and  ye  fools, 
when  will  ye  be  wise  ?  He  that  planted  the 
ear,  shall  he  not  hear?  He  that  formed  the 
eye,  shall  he  not  see?  He  that  chastiseth 
the  heathen,  shall  not  he  correct  ?  He  that 
teacheth  man  knowledge,  shall  not  he 
know  ?"  (Psm.  94  :  8).  There  is  no  argu- 
ment that  has  the  power  of  the  simple  v/ord 
of  God.  It  reaches  the  conscience  and  the 
heart  as  nothing  else  will.  The  first  words 
of  the  Bible,  "  In  the  beginning  God  created 
the  heaven  and  the  earth,"  carry  conviction 
with  them.  Every  man  at  times  feels  his 
helplessness,  and  his  dependence  on  some 
superior  being.  Every  man  is  conscious 
that  he  needs  something  he  has  not  got. 
And  when  the  law  of  God  comes,  saying, 
Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,  every  man  is  con- 
demned by  his  own  conscience,  and  knows 
that  he  is  a  sinner.     He  needs  no  argument 


72  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

to  convince  him  that  there  is  a  God.  He 
feels  in  his  heart  that  there  is  a  coming 
judgment.  What  he  needs  is  to  know  how 
he  may  escape  the  wrath  to  come,  and  how 
he  may  be  saved.  This  want  can  only  be 
met  by  the  offer  of  salvation  through  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

You  are  therefore  to  present  the  same 
message  to  all ;  to  the  most  learned  and  the 
most  ignorant,  the  old  and  the  young,  the 
rich  and  the  poor,  the  king  and  the  beggar, 
the  moralist  and  the  vicious.  "  For  there  is 
no  difference  ;  for  all  have  sinned  and  come 
short  of  the  glory  of  God  "  (Rom.  3:22). 
And  to  all,  with  Paul,  let  your  "  speech  and 
preaching  be  not  with  enticing  words  of 
man's  -wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  of  power"  (i  Cor.  2:4);  being 
determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among 
your  hearers  save  Jesus  Christ  and  Him 
crucified  "  (i  Cor.  2  :  2).  In  Christ,  we  see 
the  justice,  the  mercy,  and  the  love  of  God ; 
through  Him  wg  have  the  knowledge  of  the 
law  and  -the  nature  of  sin ;  of  our  own  de- 
pravity and  our  need  of  an  atonement,  re- 
pentance, and  regeneration ;  of  the  resurrec- 
tion and  a  future  retribution;  and  of  the 
way  of  salvation  by  faith. 

Let  all  your  studies  of  the  Scriptures  lead 


THE    MESSAGE.  73 

you  to  Christ,  and  to  grow  in  the  knowledge 
of  him  (Phil.  3:8;  2  Pet.  3:18).  Let  all 
your  teachings  from  the  Scriptures  lead  your 
hearers  to  Christ.  Jesus,  speaking  of  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures,  says,  "  They  are 
they  which  testify  of  me"  (John  5  :  39)  ;  and 
He  used  them  to  that  end  Himself,  when, 
"  Beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets, 
He  expounded  unto  them  in  all  the  Scrip- 
tures the  things  concerning  himself  "(Luke 
24:27).  "And  He  said  unto  them,  These 
are  the  words  which  I  spake  unto  you,  while 
I  was  yet  with  you,  that  all  things  must  be 
fulfilled,  which  were  written  in  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  in  the  prophets,  and  in  the 
Psalms,  concerning  me.  Then  opened  He 
their  understanding  that  they  might  under- 
stand the  Scriptures"  (Luke  24 :  44,  45). 
Paul  says,  "  The  law  was  our  schoolmaster 
to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be 
justified  by  faith  "  (Gal.  3  :  24).  In  the  ad- 
dresses of  Peter  (Acts  2  :  16-36),  of  Stephen, 
(Acts  7  :  2-52),  and  of  Paul  (Acts  13 :  16-38), 
Bible  history  is  used  simply  to  lead  to  Christ 
and  Him  crucified. 

Always  go  to  the  Scriptures  with  a  teach- 
able spirit,  with  the   spirit  of  a  little  child ; 
for  there  is  a  danger  that  you  may  go  to 
them  to  confirm  some  of  your  own  notions 
4 


74  A   WORD    TO   CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

or  hobbies;  or  you  may  go  to  them  me- 
chanically, as  a  carpenter  goes  to  a  chest  of 
tools,  selects  one  to  suit  his  purpose  and 
then  casts  it  aside ;  we  may  so  handle  scrip- 
ture that  we  may  not  derive  any  spiritual 
benefit  while  doing  so. 

In  referring  to  the  Scriptures,  or  in  read- 
ing them  to  others,  remember  that  they  are 
the  word  of  God,  and  treat  them  as  such. 
Remember  that  Christ  and  Him  crucified, 
Christ  and  the  resurrection,  is  the  great  mes- 
sage to  the  saint  as  well  as  to  the  sinner ; 
to  edify  the  one  as  w^ell  as  to  save  the  other. 
Paul,  in  his  first  epistle  to  the  saints,  in  the 
church  in  Corinth,  uses  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  the  first  chapter  seven- 
teen times.  The  Lord  Jesus,  speaking  about 
the  manna  given  in  the  wilderness,  which 
was  to  be  daily  gathered,  and  daily  eaten, 
said,  "  My  Father  giveth  you  the  true  bread 
from  heaven.  For  the  bread  of  God  is  He 
which  Cometh  down  from  heaven,  and  giveth 
life  unto  the  world.  I  am  that  bread  of  life. 
I  am  the  livino^  bread  which  came  down 
from  heaven  :  if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread 
he  shall  live  forever.  He  that  eateth  my 
flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood,  dwelleth  in  me 
and  I  in  him.  He  that  eateth  me,  even  he 
shall   live   by  me.     He  that   eateth  of  this 


THE    MESSAGE. 


75 


bread  shall  live  forever.  It  is  the  spirit 
that  quickeneth;  the  flesh  profiteth  noth- 
ing ;  the  words  that  I  speak  unto  you  they 
are  spirit  and  they  are  life"  (John  6  :  32-63). 
Gather  therefore  the  words  of  Jesus  for 
yourself  and  others,  and  feed  on  them  and 
on  Him  by  faith.  Let  not  your  prepara- 
tion for  others  interfere  with  the  daily 
gathering  for  yourself.  You  cannot  be  fit 
for  work  without  daily  food,  gathered  and 
eaten  daily.  If  you  only  gather  that  bread 
at  intervals,  or  gorge  yourself  from  time  to 
time,  you  will  become  a  spiritual  dyspeptic. 
If  you  depend  on  the  bread  eaten  last  week, 
you  will  starve.  Like  the  manna,  you  are 
to  gather  this  bread  and  eat  it  daily,  all 
your  life  here,  until  you  pass  over  Jordan 
into  the  promised  land. 

Parents  should  have  the  same  end  in  view 
in  teaching  their  children  from  the  Bible. 
Their  aim  should  always  be  to  lead  them  to 
Christ  and  cause  them  to  grow  in  Him  by 
feeding  upon  Him.  They  v/ould,  with  their 
children,  derive  much  benefit  by  using  cate- 
chisms founded  on  the  Bible,  every  answer 
presenting  Bible  truth,  such  as  the  Heidel- 
berg Catechism  and  the  Westminster  Cate- 
chism ;  they  would  grow  in  knowledge,  and 
plant  seed  in  the  child  which  will  certainly 


76  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

bear  fruit.  The  sneers  of  some  against  all 
creeds  and  catechisms  are  extremely  foolish 
and  wicked.  Every  man  that  has  any  faith 
in  the  Bible,  or  any  views  concerning  it,  has 
a  creed  ;  those  views  are  his  creed.  His  be- 
lief, whatever  it  is,  is  his  creed.  And  the 
beliefs  and  the  teachings  of  those  who  scoff 
at  creeds  and  catechisms  containing  doc- 
trinal truths,  gathered  by  the  most  ex- 
perienced Christians,  are  dangerous,  and 
should  be  avoided. 

The  true  test  of  every  catechism  or  creed, 
and  of  every  teacher,  is.  What  think  ye  of 
Christ  ?  Is  the  teaching  in  accordance  with 
the  word  of  God  ?  You  are  to  be  guided  in 
)'Our  studies  not  by  what  this  or  that  church 
teaches,  but  by  what  the  Bible  teaches. 
"  To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony  :  if  they 
speak  not  according  to  this  word,  it  is  be- 
cause there  is  no  light  in  them"  (Isai.  8  :  20; 
Mark  7  :  7,  9).  There  have  been  errors  in 
the  churches  from  the  beginning;  even  in 
those  founded  by  the  apostles.  Errors  in 
practice  and  errors  in  doctrine.  The  epistles 
to  the  church  in  Corinth,  the  church  in 
Galatia,  and  the  church  in  Colosse,  and  to 
the  seven  churches  in  Asia,  all  speak  of 
errors  in  those  churches.  At  the  present 
time  the  teachings  of  those  sects,  claiming 


THE    MESSAGE.  77 

that  they  are  the  church,  will  be  found  to  be 
the  least  in  accordance  with  the  word  of 
God.  Neither  are  you  to  place  any  depend- 
ence upon  the  teachings  of  those  called  the 
early  fathers,  excepting  only  so  far  as  they 
accord  with  the  Scriptures.  Our  Saviour 
told  His  disciples,  "  Blessed  are  your  eyes, 
for  they  see  :  and  your  ears,  for  they  hear. 
For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  That  many 
prophets  and  righteous  men  have  desired  to 
see  those  things  which  ye  see,  and  have  not 
seen  them  ;  and  to  hear  those  things  which 
ye  hear,  and  have  not  heard  them"  (Matt. 
13  :  i6).  The  advantage  which  the  disciples 
in  their  day  had  over  the  prophets  and  right- 
eous men  before  them,  we  have  over  all 
who  have  lived  before  us ;  over  the  fathers, 
the  disciples,  and  the  prophets.  We  have  all 
the  truth  and  all  their  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  and  can  avoid  all  their  errors  and 
mistakes ;  for  many  of  them  liad  erroneous 
views  ;  so  that  in  comparison  with  the 
knowledge  of  many  at  the  present  day,  they 
may  be  considered  as  children,  instead  of 
fathers.  Do  not  depend  upon  commen- 
taries ;  but  only  use  them  so  far  as  they 
may  add  to  any  light  you  have  already  re- 
ceived, after  searching  the  Scriptures  your- 
self. 


78         A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

In  preparing  yourself  to  present  any  sub- 
ject or  message  from  the  word  of  God,  set 
your  heart  to  work  as  well  as  your  mind, 
and  you  w^ill  find  every  thing  you  meet 
tributary  to  it.  Let  your  study  and  your 
teaching  be  a  continued  prayer ;  looking  to 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  guide  you,  in  regard  to 
the  message,  to  enable  you  to  understand  it ; 
to  fill  your  owm  heart  Avith  it,  and  then  to  as- 
sist you  in  delivering  it.  Make  the  word  of 
God  your  chief  study.  Let  every  thought 
and  every-  word  of  yours  be  in  accordance 
wdth  it.  Do  not  aim  at  novelty ;  nor,  like 
the  Athenians,  be  seeking  "  either  to  tell  or 
to  hear  some  new  thing"  (Acts  17  :  21). 
The  best  things  in  the  world  are  old.  Many 
of  the  popular  sayings  of  the  present  day 
are  old  ones  brought  out  in  a  new  form. 
The  reproduction  of  old  ideas  caused  a 
French  wit  to  exclaim  against  the  ancients 
as  plagiarists,  "  Confound  the  fellows !  they 
stole  all  our  thoughts  before  we  were  born." 
Never  count  that  you  have  attained,  or  are 
already  perfect  (Phil.  3:12).  Make  every 
thing  subservient  to  the  end  you  have  in 
view.  Gather  the  best  material  you  can, 
old  and  new ;  distil  it  through  your  owm 
mind,  absorb  it  into  your  own  heart,  and  use 
it  for  the  extension  of  Christ's  kingdom. 


THE    MESSAGE.  79 

In  your  own  regular  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, which  you  should  keep  up,  independ- 
ent of  your  studies  on  particular  subjects, 
read  the  Scriptures  in  course ;  and  when 
you  get  through  the  Bible,  begin  again  at 
the  beginning.  As  you  go  from  book  to 
book,  bear  in  mind  when  each  book  was 
written,  for  what  object  in  regard  to  the 
people  of  God  at  the  time  it  was  written, 
and  what  influence  it  is  to  have  on  the 
church  now;  what  connection  it  has  with 
the  other  books  of  the  Bible,  especially  with 
the  New  Testament ;  and,  above  all,  what  it 
teaches  concerning  Christ,  You  will  gather 
new  light  every  time  you  thus  begin.  In 
the  accounts  of  the  childhood  of  the  world 
and  of  our  race,  we  learn  not  only  that  God 
is  our  Creator,  but  we  feel  His  fatherhood ; 
in  His  talking  to  our  fathers  as  little  chil- 
dren, we  feel  that  He  is  talking  with  us.  In 
all  the  history  of  the  Bible,  we  learn  the 
ways  of  His  providence  in  the  punishing  of 
sinners,  and  in  saving  His  church.  In  read- 
ing the  accounts  of  the  faith  and  the  falls  of 
the  ancient  saints,  we  have  our  faith  strength- 
ened, and  we  are  instructed  to  take  heed 
lest  we  fall"  (i  Cor.  io:ii).  In  the  law, 
the  high-priest,  the  sacrifices;  in  Moses,  in 
the  prophets,  and  in  the  psalms,  we  see  and 


So         A    WORD   TO   CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

learn  to  know  more  of  Christ  (Luke  24:  27, 
44).  We  cannot  understand  the  New  Testa- 
ment without  the  Old ;  nor  the  Old  Testa- 
ment without  the  New.  The  best  interpre- 
ters of  the  Scriptures  are  the  Scriptures 
themselves.  Therefore  study  them  with  the 
help  of  the  marginal  references  and  a  con- 
cordance, rather  than  with  any  commentary. 

THE  GOSPEL  OF  CHRIST,  THE   POWER  OF 
GOD    UNTO  SALVATION. 

The  preaching  and  teaching  of  Christ  and 
Him  crucified  is  not  only  "the  power  of 
God  and  the  wisdom  of  God  "  in  the  salva- 
tion of  men  (i  Cor.  1  :  18,  23,  24;  Rom. 
1 :  16),  but  it  is  the  only  sure  remedy 
for  every'  evil  in  the  world.  Christ  says, 
*'  Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing"  (John 
^5  •  5)-  ^t  ^s  a  mistake  to  endeavor  to  re- 
form men  before  leading  them  to  Christ. 
All  their  resolutions  to  reform,  relying  upon 
their  owm  strength  or  on  making  pledges, 
or  by  joining  certain  societies,  are  w^orth- 
less.  Like  the  reform  platforms  and  resolu- 
tions of  politicians,  they  will  not  be  regarded 
longer  than  it  is  their  interest  or  inclina- 
tion to  keep  them.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  ; 
Cursed  be  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man" 
(Jer.  17:5).     The  only  sure  way  to  reform  a 


THE   GOSPEL   OF   CHRIST.  8l 

drunkard,  or  any  other  sinner,  is  to  lead  him 
to  Christ.     All  experience  confirms  this. 

Mr.  Sawyer,  who  is  now  so  successfully 
engaged  in  promoting  the  cause  of  temper- 
ance in  connection  with  the  gospel  labors  of 
Mr.  Moody,  in  one  of  his  addresses,  after  re- 
lating his  own  experience,  a  peculiarly  bitter 
one,  said,  **  Now,  I  want  to  say  a  word  about 
men  saying  they  can  save  themselves,  that 
they  can  drink  or  let  it  alone.  I  have  seen 
this  tried  so  often  and  fail  that  I  have  but 
little  faith  in  men  trying  to  save  themselves. 
I  don't  believe  a  man  can  save  himself.  I 
knev/  a  young  lawyer  in  New  York  who 
kept  the  pledge  for  nine  years  inviolate,  and 
he  used  t.o  talk  about  his  own  will.  But  last 
Christmas  Day  the  enemy  overpowered  him 
and  he  took  his  first  drink  in  nine  years, 
and  before  New  Year's  Day  he  died  in  delir- 
ium tremens.  I  have  little  faith  in  will  and 
resolutions,  but  I  have  great  faith  in  our 
God,  and  I  have  seen  so  many  miracles  per- 
formed by  the  Lord  Jesus  during  my  tem- 
perance work  that  I  believe  He  can  save 
men  even  unto  the  uttermost."  "  I  want  to 
say  to  you  drinking  men  that  you  can't  save 
yourselves,  and  it  is  no  use  trying.  You 
have  got  to  lay  down  your  burden  at  Jesus' 
feet  and  get  mercy." 
4* 


82  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

Wlierever  the  gospel  has  been  preached  in 
its  purity,  the  result  has  always  been  the 
reformation  of  men  and  of  neighborhoods. 
The  preaching  of  Christ  and  Him  crucified 
accomplishes  this,  even  without  any  refer- 
ence to  particular  sins.  The  believer  in 
Christ  is  delivered  from  the  power  of  sin,  as 
well  as  from  its  penalty.  The  moral  effect 
of  the  preaching  of  Christ  is  the  same  in  all 
places  and  among  all  classes :  the  educated 
and  the  ignorant,  the  civilized  and  the 
savage.  It  is  a  great  mistake  io  think  that 
men  must  be  civilized,  or  educated,  or  raised 
from  any  depth,  before  they  are  fit  to  have 
the  gospel  preached  to  them.  The  more  de- 
graded and  the  more  hopeless  their  condi- 
tion, the  more  they  need  the  gospel,  and  the 
more  readily  they  receive  it. 

The  early  Christians  revolutionized  the 
Roman  Empire  by  preaching,  not  politics, 
nor  reforms,  nor  science,  nor  humanitarian- 
ism,  but  simply  by  preaching  Christ  and  Him 
crucified.  A  change  of  government  does 
not  elevate  the  masses,  nor  does  a  republic 
make  them  free. 

"  Peoples  may  not  rise  though  kings  may  fall." 
"  ]\Jen  unfit  for  freedom  can't  be  free." 

There  is  no  freedom  where  the  gospel  does 
not  prevail. 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CHRIST.  8^ 

Education  docs  not  truly  elevate  the 
masses;  but  unless  controlled  by  the  gospel, 
it  only  gives  them  more  power  for  evil. 
The  millions  of  poor  deluded  and  degraded 
papists  would  be  far  more  dangerous  were 
they  all  educated  Jesuits. 

Civilization  does  not  elevate  v,uthout  the 
gospel.  It  may  serve  only  to  introduce  ex- 
travagance, fraud,  and  refined  licentiousness. 

The  preaching  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  is 
always  followed  by  reforms,  social  and  polit- 
ical ;  it  introduces  purity,  freedom,  educa- 
tion, and  true  civilization,  and  the  masses 
become  elevated.  Its  whole  progress  from 
the  beginning  shows  this.  The  present  con- 
dition of  all  the  nations  in  the  world  shows 
this.  All  nations,  whether  empires  or  repub- 
lics, may  be  graded  in  accordance  with  the 
degree  in  which  the  power  and  spirit  of  the 
gospel  are  felt  among  the  people.  Where  its 
power  is  not  felt,  the  people  are  controlled 
by  standing  armies;  and  because  of  casting 
off  their  allegiance  to  Christ,  they  are  the 
slaves  of  despots,  military  rulers,  or  of 
priests;  and  they  will  remain  so,  with  a  con- 
stant change  of  rulers,  until  the  gospel 
makes  them  free.  "  Where  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  is,  there  is  liberty"  (2  Cor.  3:17).  The 
simple  preaching  of  the  gospel  is  God's  or- 


84  A    WORD    TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

dained  means  for  fitting  men  to  live  both  in 
this  world  and  the  next.  Paul  reminds  the 
Christians  at  Corinth  that  some  of  them  had 
been  "idolaters,  adulterers, thieves, drunkards, 
etc.,  and  that  they  w^ere  sanctified  and  justi- 
fied in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by 
the  Spirit  of  our  God"  (i  Cor.  6  :  9,  11).  He 
reminds  the  Ephesians,  *'We  all  had  our 
conversation  in  times  past  in  the  lusts  of  our 
flesh,  fulfilling  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of 
the  mind,  and  were  by  nature  children  of 
wrath,  even  as  others.  But  God,  who  is  rich 
in  mercy,  for  His  great  love  wherewith  He 
loved  us,  even  when  w^e  were  dead  in  sins, 
hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ" 
(Eph.  2  : 3).  He  w^rites  to  the  Colossians 
that  they  once  lived  in  the  like  sins  (Col. 
3  :  5).  Peter  reminds  the  Christians  gathered 
from  the  heathen  in  other  countries,  that  once 
"  We  walked  in  lasciviousness,  lusts,  excess 
of  Avine,  revellings,  banquetings,  and  abom- 
inable idolatries"  (i  Pet.  4  :  3).  That  such 
practices  are  not  confined  to  the  heathen, 
Paul  show^s.  When  speaking  of  the  natural 
heart  of  man  everywhere,  he  speaks  of  it 
"As  filled  wuth  unrighteousness,  fornication, 
wickedness,  covetousness,  maliciousness ;  full 
of  envy,  murder,  deceit,  haters  of  God,"  etc., 
etc.  (Rom.  i  :  18-32).     He  adds,  *'They  are 


THE   GOSPEL   OF   CHRIST.  85 

all  gone  out  of  the  way ;  there  is  none  that 
doeth  good,  no,  not  one  (Rom.  3:12,  19,  22, 
23).  To  remedy  all  this,  Paul  says,  "  I  deter- 
mined not  to  know  any  thing  among  you  save 
Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified"  (i  Cor. 
2  :  2).  "  For  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ,  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth"  (Rom. 
1  :  16).  The  natural  heart  of  man  is  the 
same  now  that  it  was  in  the  days  of  Paul; 
and,  thanks  be  unto  God !  the  gospel  of 
Christ  has  the  same  power  to  save  and  reform 
men  now  as  it  had  then.  There  never  has 
been  and  there  never  will  be  any  other  way. 
Over  a  century  ago  the  lamented  Brainerd 
spent  his  short  life  as  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians.  They  were  stupid,  sensual  sav- 
ages, given  to  strong  drink  and  greatly  prej- 
udiced against  the  whites.  In  his  diary  he 
says  he  made  Christ  crucified  the  centre  and 
mark  of  all  his  discourses.  He  led  them  to 
know  their  deplorable  state  by  nature  as 
fallen  creatures ;  their  inability  to  extricate 
and  deliver  themselves  from  it ;  the  utter  in- 
sufficiency of  any  external  reformation  and 
amendments  of  life,  or  of  any  religious  per- 
formances of  which  they  were  capable,  while 
in  this  state,  to  bring  them  into  the  favor  of 
God ;  thence  he  showed  them  their  absolute 


86  WORD   TO   CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

need  of  Christ  to  redeem  and  save  them  from 
the  misery  of  their  fallen  state,  and  opened 
His  all-sufficiency  and  willingness  to  save  the 
chief  of  sinners ;  the  f  reeness  and  riches  of 
divine  grace,  proposed  "  without  money  and 
without  price"  to  all  who  will  accept  the 
oifer;  and  urged  them,  without  delay,  to  be- 
take themselves  to  Him.  The  result  was 
that,  although  he  had  to  preach  through  a 
listless  interpreter,  and  his  instructions  were 
opposed  by  wicked  white  men,  the  Spirit  was 
poured  out  from  on  high,  and  in  eleven 
months  seventy-seven  of  these  savages  be- 
came devout  and  intelligent  Christians,  and 
many  others  were  brought  under  Christian 
influence.  He  adds:  "It  is  worthy  of  re- 
mark that  numbers  of  these  people  are 
brought  to  a  strict  compliance  w^ith  the  rules 
of  morality  and  sobriety,  and  to  a  conscientious 
performance  of  the  external  duties  of  Chris- 
tianity by  the  internal  power  and  influence  of 
divine  truths — the  peculiar  doctrines  of  grace 
— upon  their  minds,  without  their  having 
these  moral  duties  frequently  repeated  and 
inculcated  upon  them,  and  the  contrary  vices 
particularly  exposed  and  spoken  against. 
When  these  truths  were  felt  at  heart,  there 
was  now  no  vice  unreformed,  no  external 
duty  neglected." 


THE    GOSPEL   OF   CHRIST.  87 


^ 


The  like  results,  following  the  preachin 
of  the  gospel,  have  been  seen  in  our  day  in 
the  reformation  and  elevation  of  the  savages 
of  the  Fiji,  tlie  Sandwich,  and  many  other 
islands  of  the  Pacific,  the  natives  of  which 
were  noted  for  their  licentiousness,  their  cru- 
elty, and  their  cannibalism. 

And  in  our  own  land,  how  often  we  have 
seen  the  power  of  the  preaching  of  Christ 
and  Him  crucified,  in  not  only  reforming  all 
classes  of  individuals,  even  the  most  de- 
graded, but  also  in  the  closing  for  a  time  of 
all  the  theatres,  bar-rooms,  and  gambling-sa- 
loons in  the  place,  although  no  reference  may 
have  been  made  to  them. 

Paul  says,  "Christ  sent  me  not  to  bap- 
tize, but  to  preach  the  gospel :  not  with 
wisdom  of  words,  lest  the  cross  of  Christ 
should  be  made  of  none  effect.  For  the 
preaching  of  the  cross  is  to  them  that 
perish,  foolishness;  but  unto  us  which 
are  saved,  it  is  the  power  of  God"  (i 
Cor.  1:17).  The  preaching  of  Christ  for 
eighteen  hundred  years  has  sliown  itself  to 
be  the  power  of  God.  Wherever  it  is 
preached,  great  signs  follow:  the  ears  of 
those  who  are  deaf  to  all  other  influences  are 
opened  ;  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  who  are  going 
on  to  destruction,  are  made  to  see  their  dan- 


SS         A    WORD   TO    CHRISTIAN    TEACHERS. 

ger  and  the  way  to  escape ;  the  lepers,  with 
the  worst  of  all  diseases,  sin,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  certain  death  before  them,  are 
cleansed ;  and  the  dead,  without  God  and 
without  hope  in  the  world,  are  raised  to  the 
enjoyment  of  life.  Restoring  the  helpless, 
the  hopeless,  the  despairing,  and  the  outcast ; 
the  harlot,  the  drunkard,  and  the  vile,  to  pu- 
rity, joy,  and  peace,  are  greater  works  than 
the  miracles  performed  in  healing  the  body. 
The  preaching  of  the  gospel  alone  does  this; 
the  Lord  confirming  the  word  with  signs  fol- 
lowing (Mark  i6  :  20). 

In  delivering  our  message  we  are  encour- 
aged by  knowing  that  He  who  sends  it  wall 
not  allovv^  it  to  return  unto  Him  void;  that 
salvation  is  of  the  Lord;  that  where  He 
sends  His  messenger.  He  prepares  hearts  to 
receive  the  message.  Philip  was  sent  to  the 
Ethiopian  eunuch  who  w^as  studying  the 
Scriptures  (Acts  8  ;  29).  Peter  was  sent  to 
preach  Christ  to  the  centurion,  who  was  di- 
rected of  God  to  send  for  Peter.  Ananias 
was  sent  to  Paul,  who  was  led  of  God  to  ex- 
pect him  (Acts  9  :  10,  12).  Let  us  therefore 
look  to  God  not  only  to  tell  us  where  to  go 
and  to  go  with  us,  but  also  to  prepare  the 
hearts  beforehand  to  receive  the  message  w^e 
bring. 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CHRIST.  89 

Looking  at  the  millions  in  the  world  who 
are  yet  without  teachers,  we  should  be  mind- 
ful of  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  "  The 
harvest  truly  is  great,  but  the  laborers  are 
few :  pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  har- 
vest, that  He  would  send  forth  laborers  into 
His  harvest"  (Luke  lo  :  2). 

The  message,  the  messenger,  and  the  har- 
vest are  all  His.  Salvation,  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end,  is  of  God.  Let  us  there- 
fore give  Him  all  the  glory,  "saying,  Salva- 
tion to  our  God  which  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb"  (Rev.  7  :  10). 
"  To  the  only  wise  God  our  Saviour,  be 
glory  and  majesty,  dominion  and  power, 
both  now  and  ever.     Amen"  (Jude  25). 

Thus  sent  of  God,  delivering  a  message 
from  God,  in  the  presence  of  God,  having 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  I  AM,  with  you, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  speaking  in  you  and 
through  you,  and  in  love  beseeching  all  to 
be  reconciled  to  God :  you  can  depend  upon 
having  the  Lord  working  with  you  and  con- 
firming the  word  with  signs  following  (Mark 
16:20;  Acts  2:4,7);  ^^^  rejoicing  in  the 
Lord  always,  you  may  look  forward  to  be 
glorified  with  Him  forever  (Rom.  8:  17;  2 
Cor.  4  :  17  ;  Dan.  12:3;  2  Tim.  4  :  8). 


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